Malta's oldest woman, 112-year-old Maria Farrugia has died, Hamrun local council said on Tuesday.

It paid tribute to the woman, who although born in Mosta, lived in Hamrun for many years.  

Growing old is “the greatest gift and I thank God for every single day I lived”, Maria had said when she turned 111 years, three months and 25 days old in June last year – becoming the oldest person on record in Malta since the Public Registry was set up in 1863. Her 112st birthday was also marked by Identità, which shared a Facebook post..  

Maria was born in Mosta on March 7, 1912, to Anna and Anġlu Galea. Her father was a stevedore whose job involved carrying baskets of coal onto barges at the port. He later went to work at a farm known as Ta’ Viku, located where the Santa Venera Lidl now stands.

Maria was born and lived during a time of poverty and she did not go to school as, at the time, it was not yet compulsory. Despite this, she learnt how to read and read novels, took sewing classes and learnt to cook.

She also helped her mother – who lived till the age of 100 – sell milk for one penny per can and worked as a cleaner for some time. In 1941, she married Ġorġ Farrugia with whom she had three children: Anġlu, Josephine and Karmena. 

Maria Farrugia on her wedding way with her late husband, Ġorġ in 1941