Note: SSDI lists Death Date as 4 Mar 1990.
Age: 89 yrs. 5 mos. 22 dys.
S/O Antonio Zaro & Bertha Elizabeth (Bessolo) Zaro
H/O Zola Caroline (Hulse) Zaro (2 Sep 1905-23 Sep 1985); m 25 Apr 1921, Los Angeles County, California, USA; m 25 May 1957, Clark County, Nevada, USA
F/O John Zaro
F/O Dorothy (Zaro) Olivieri
Obituary, 22 Mar 1990:
‘Mountain Man' Zaro Dies Mar. 16
Ambrose Zaro, who was known as "The Mountain Man," died Friday at his home in Maywood. Funeral services were Wednesday, Mar. 21, 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church at 10727 Downey Ave. in Downey. Interment was set for family members only at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles,
Mr. Zaro would have been 91 [No, 90 years of age.] on Sept. 22 this year.
The "keeper of Mount Wilson Trail" was born Sept. 22, 1900 and first climbed the trail in 1918. He would take the red car from Bell to Sierra Madre, run up and down the trail as part of his boxer's training. It was then that he noticed that the trail could use some maintenance.
Hugh Campbell, a close friend of Zaro, said, "Thanks to Ambrose, the Mt. Wilson Trail has been the best-kept trail in California. Dozens of eager mountain hikers would stop and chat with him, asking about the trail and its history. On those days he would accomplish little work but the friendships he made have endured."
Campbell continued, "He was a very simple, unassuming man who shied away from publicity. He did what he did for the satisfaction he saw on the hikers' faces. That was his supreme reward."
Campbell also remembered that in 1976 when Kenyon DeVore told him about a little man who, in the ‘20s, came to the canyon with stoves on pack mules. "DeVore watched this little guy put the stoves together and fire them up to see if everything was all right. I told Kenyon that Ambrose Zaro was the little guy," Campbell noted.
Mr. Zaro spent two days cleaning up the trail, maintaining the 7½-mile extension from the northern edge of the 820-foot high Sierra Madre to 5710-foot high Mt. Wilson. He cleared away boulders, brush, falling trees, repaired damage from mud and rock slides. He built paths and created what the trail is today. He kept up the work until his death, when he had already begun grooming others to continue with maintenance of the trail.
Mr. Zaro worked in Huntington Park for a sheet metal company, and during the Depression he worked for several oil companies.
In 1941, he was working on underground gasoline tanks when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Later he worked at the Persian Gulf for two years then went on to Australia, India, Egypt, Italy and Venezuela. He became a security guard in South Gate and on weekends spent time on the trail.
Mr. Zaro's wife, Zola, preceded him in death in 1985.
Those who wish to remember "The Mountain Man" should consider a donation to Mt. Wilson Trail maintenance, City of Sierra Madre.
Age: 89 yrs. 5 mos. 22 dys.
S/O Antonio Zaro & Bertha Elizabeth (Bessolo) Zaro
H/O Zola Caroline (Hulse) Zaro (2 Sep 1905-23 Sep 1985); m 25 Apr 1921, Los Angeles County, California, USA; m 25 May 1957, Clark County, Nevada, USA
F/O John Zaro
F/O Dorothy (Zaro) Olivieri
Obituary, 22 Mar 1990:
‘Mountain Man' Zaro Dies Mar. 16
Ambrose Zaro, who was known as "The Mountain Man," died Friday at his home in Maywood. Funeral services were Wednesday, Mar. 21, 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church at 10727 Downey Ave. in Downey. Interment was set for family members only at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles,
Mr. Zaro would have been 91 [No, 90 years of age.] on Sept. 22 this year.
The "keeper of Mount Wilson Trail" was born Sept. 22, 1900 and first climbed the trail in 1918. He would take the red car from Bell to Sierra Madre, run up and down the trail as part of his boxer's training. It was then that he noticed that the trail could use some maintenance.
Hugh Campbell, a close friend of Zaro, said, "Thanks to Ambrose, the Mt. Wilson Trail has been the best-kept trail in California. Dozens of eager mountain hikers would stop and chat with him, asking about the trail and its history. On those days he would accomplish little work but the friendships he made have endured."
Campbell continued, "He was a very simple, unassuming man who shied away from publicity. He did what he did for the satisfaction he saw on the hikers' faces. That was his supreme reward."
Campbell also remembered that in 1976 when Kenyon DeVore told him about a little man who, in the ‘20s, came to the canyon with stoves on pack mules. "DeVore watched this little guy put the stoves together and fire them up to see if everything was all right. I told Kenyon that Ambrose Zaro was the little guy," Campbell noted.
Mr. Zaro spent two days cleaning up the trail, maintaining the 7½-mile extension from the northern edge of the 820-foot high Sierra Madre to 5710-foot high Mt. Wilson. He cleared away boulders, brush, falling trees, repaired damage from mud and rock slides. He built paths and created what the trail is today. He kept up the work until his death, when he had already begun grooming others to continue with maintenance of the trail.
Mr. Zaro worked in Huntington Park for a sheet metal company, and during the Depression he worked for several oil companies.
In 1941, he was working on underground gasoline tanks when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Later he worked at the Persian Gulf for two years then went on to Australia, India, Egypt, Italy and Venezuela. He became a security guard in South Gate and on weekends spent time on the trail.
Mr. Zaro's wife, Zola, preceded him in death in 1985.
Those who wish to remember "The Mountain Man" should consider a donation to Mt. Wilson Trail maintenance, City of Sierra Madre.
Note: SSDI lists Death Date as 4 Mar 1990.
Age: 89 yrs. 5 mos. 22 dys.
S/O Antonio Zaro & Bertha Elizabeth (Bessolo) Zaro
H/O Zola Caroline (Hulse) Zaro (2 Sep 1905-23 Sep 1985); m 25 Apr 1921, Los Angeles County, California, USA; m 25 May 1957, Clark County, Nevada, USA
F/O John Zaro
F/O Dorothy (Zaro) Olivieri
Obituary, 22 Mar 1990:
‘Mountain Man' Zaro Dies Mar. 16
Ambrose Zaro, who was known as "The Mountain Man," died Friday at his home in Maywood. Funeral services were Wednesday, Mar. 21, 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church at 10727 Downey Ave. in Downey. Interment was set for family members only at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles,
Mr. Zaro would have been 91 [No, 90 years of age.] on Sept. 22 this year.
The "keeper of Mount Wilson Trail" was born Sept. 22, 1900 and first climbed the trail in 1918. He would take the red car from Bell to Sierra Madre, run up and down the trail as part of his boxer's training. It was then that he noticed that the trail could use some maintenance.
Hugh Campbell, a close friend of Zaro, said, "Thanks to Ambrose, the Mt. Wilson Trail has been the best-kept trail in California. Dozens of eager mountain hikers would stop and chat with him, asking about the trail and its history. On those days he would accomplish little work but the friendships he made have endured."
Campbell continued, "He was a very simple, unassuming man who shied away from publicity. He did what he did for the satisfaction he saw on the hikers' faces. That was his supreme reward."
Campbell also remembered that in 1976 when Kenyon DeVore told him about a little man who, in the ‘20s, came to the canyon with stoves on pack mules. "DeVore watched this little guy put the stoves together and fire them up to see if everything was all right. I told Kenyon that Ambrose Zaro was the little guy," Campbell noted.
Mr. Zaro spent two days cleaning up the trail, maintaining the 7½-mile extension from the northern edge of the 820-foot high Sierra Madre to 5710-foot high Mt. Wilson. He cleared away boulders, brush, falling trees, repaired damage from mud and rock slides. He built paths and created what the trail is today. He kept up the work until his death, when he had already begun grooming others to continue with maintenance of the trail.
Mr. Zaro worked in Huntington Park for a sheet metal company, and during the Depression he worked for several oil companies.
In 1941, he was working on underground gasoline tanks when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Later he worked at the Persian Gulf for two years then went on to Australia, India, Egypt, Italy and Venezuela. He became a security guard in South Gate and on weekends spent time on the trail.
Mr. Zaro's wife, Zola, preceded him in death in 1985.
Those who wish to remember "The Mountain Man" should consider a donation to Mt. Wilson Trail maintenance, City of Sierra Madre.
Age: 89 yrs. 5 mos. 22 dys.
S/O Antonio Zaro & Bertha Elizabeth (Bessolo) Zaro
H/O Zola Caroline (Hulse) Zaro (2 Sep 1905-23 Sep 1985); m 25 Apr 1921, Los Angeles County, California, USA; m 25 May 1957, Clark County, Nevada, USA
F/O John Zaro
F/O Dorothy (Zaro) Olivieri
Obituary, 22 Mar 1990:
‘Mountain Man' Zaro Dies Mar. 16
Ambrose Zaro, who was known as "The Mountain Man," died Friday at his home in Maywood. Funeral services were Wednesday, Mar. 21, 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church at 10727 Downey Ave. in Downey. Interment was set for family members only at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles,
Mr. Zaro would have been 91 [No, 90 years of age.] on Sept. 22 this year.
The "keeper of Mount Wilson Trail" was born Sept. 22, 1900 and first climbed the trail in 1918. He would take the red car from Bell to Sierra Madre, run up and down the trail as part of his boxer's training. It was then that he noticed that the trail could use some maintenance.
Hugh Campbell, a close friend of Zaro, said, "Thanks to Ambrose, the Mt. Wilson Trail has been the best-kept trail in California. Dozens of eager mountain hikers would stop and chat with him, asking about the trail and its history. On those days he would accomplish little work but the friendships he made have endured."
Campbell continued, "He was a very simple, unassuming man who shied away from publicity. He did what he did for the satisfaction he saw on the hikers' faces. That was his supreme reward."
Campbell also remembered that in 1976 when Kenyon DeVore told him about a little man who, in the ‘20s, came to the canyon with stoves on pack mules. "DeVore watched this little guy put the stoves together and fire them up to see if everything was all right. I told Kenyon that Ambrose Zaro was the little guy," Campbell noted.
Mr. Zaro spent two days cleaning up the trail, maintaining the 7½-mile extension from the northern edge of the 820-foot high Sierra Madre to 5710-foot high Mt. Wilson. He cleared away boulders, brush, falling trees, repaired damage from mud and rock slides. He built paths and created what the trail is today. He kept up the work until his death, when he had already begun grooming others to continue with maintenance of the trail.
Mr. Zaro worked in Huntington Park for a sheet metal company, and during the Depression he worked for several oil companies.
In 1941, he was working on underground gasoline tanks when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Later he worked at the Persian Gulf for two years then went on to Australia, India, Egypt, Italy and Venezuela. He became a security guard in South Gate and on weekends spent time on the trail.
Mr. Zaro's wife, Zola, preceded him in death in 1985.
Those who wish to remember "The Mountain Man" should consider a donation to Mt. Wilson Trail maintenance, City of Sierra Madre.
Inscription
(Cemetery Marker)
✞ FATHER & BROTHER
AMBROSE ZARO
1900 – 1990
“MOUNTAIN MAN”
(Memorial Plaque, dedicated 25 Sep 1993.
Located at the start of the Mt. Wilson Trail (northwest corner of Mt. Wilson Trail & E. Mira Monte Ave.), Sierra Madre, CA.
Update 25 Oct 2009: Plaque salvaged when building demolished. Now on ground, across from Mt. Wilson Trail marker, on northwest corner of intersection.)
AMBROSE ZARO
“THE MOUNTAIN MAN’
1900-1990
IN MEMORY OF HIS LIFE-LONG
DEDICATION TO THE CARE AND
MAINTENANCE OF THE MT. WILSON
TRAIL. HIS SPIRIT REMAINS THERE
AMONG THE WILDERNESS HE LOVED
(Map of Mt. Wilson Trail)
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
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