Carlos Valenzuela Castro was born in Lima, Peru, on 24 September 1905 to parents Manuel Valenzuela and Magdalena Castro. He was baptized in January 1906. He was an avid soccer player through his 20s.

While in Peru, he worked as a shoemaker for his father, and later followed his brother to the United States, finding work at a lamp-making company. In 1936, he married Olga. The couple had seven children.

He was able to walk until he was 105. Around 2014, he moved into a nursing home after his wife passed away in her 90s. At the time of his 110th birthday, all of his seven children were still alive, aged between 62 and 84.

Carlos Valenzuela Castro passed away in Guttenberg, New Jersey, USA on 29 March 2016 at the age of 110 years, 186 days.