Maurice E. Starkey was, at age 104, one of the last American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 surviving veterans of the World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 era. He joined the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 in July 1919, and served in the early days of the U.S. submarine corps aboard two K-class submarines, the USS K-3

USS K-3 (SS-34)

USS K-3 was an K-class submarine, of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down by Union Iron Works in San Francisco, California, as Orca, making her the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the orca, another name for the grampus or killer whale, but on 17 November 1911,...

 and USS K-4

USS K-4 (SS-35)

USS K-4 was an K-class submarine, of the United States Navy. Her keel was laid down by the Moran Company in Seattle, Washington, as Walrus, making her the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the walrus, a gregarious, aquatic mammal related to the seal found in Arctic waters, but...

 that operated along the U.S. eastern coastline during and after the war.

After leaving the service he saw much of the United States by hopping freight trains for many years. He married twice, and lived in California for some time while working as a chef. He claimed to have held a job as a chef for a hotel restaurant owned by Gene Autry

Gene Autry

Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...

, and once cooked for restaurant customer Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes

Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...

. Starkey settled near family in Royersford, Pennsylvania

Royersford, Pennsylvania

Royersford is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The town drew its name from the location of a ford across the Schuylkill River, which happened to be adjacent to land owned by the Royer family...

 in 1967 and continued working until his retirement.

Maurice lived with his nephew in the last years of his life, and died in the hospital near his home in Royersford

Royersford, Pennsylvania

Royersford is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The town drew its name from the location of a ford across the Schuylkill River, which happened to be adjacent to land owned by the Royer family...

just six days before his 105th birthday.