Life in the Later Lane
Playwright Lynne Kaufman, the author of two dozen plays and five novels, is still going strong, despite some hiccups
The day after Lynne Kaufman retired in 2005, she woke up in tears. “What had I done?”...
A win for people power: Supervisors and mayor restore millions of dollars in cut to services for city’s most vulnerable
A months-long campaign by advocates for seniors, the disabled and other vulnerable populations has convinced San Francisco's...
Following in the footsteps of heroes: My visit to the cradles of Civil Rights
SF SENIORBEAT COLUMN – March 17, 1886. A date you probably never considered. Carroll County, Mississippi. A...
Couple’s script for their own movie? Shared creative passions and a bent for banter
“I'm Chiquita Banana, and I'm here to say, bananas have to ripen in a certain way,” Margot...
Social justice lawyer and activist infusing others with her love of SF’s Great Blue Herons and dedication to conservation
One day in 1993, on her daily walk from her Richmond District home to Golden Gate Park’s...
Nonprofit director is happy to bug you, whether you’re 2 or 92, about saving the wild
If you grow up in Los Angeles, where do you find the wild? Norm Gershenz is not...
Bass playing lawyer takes on the landlords when seniors call for help
During the day, you’ll find Thomas Drohan in court or at his law office on Mission Street....
Former SFSU teacher shifts to helping union workers build leadership abilities
Like some people need coffee, Joan Wong needs to walk – and talk. Mornings, she puts in...
Joe Edley, a three-time national champion, has been racking up great Scrabble scores for decades
Joe Edley tucks his co-authored book, “Everything Scrabble,” under his arm and surveys the room. Around him,...
Robert Wachter, the doctor who is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence to treat patients
Robert Wachter is the doctor who oversees all the other doctors at the University of California, San...
Couple beat ‘fast furniture,’ pandemic and other challenges to keep upholstery shop going for nearly 50 years
J & G Upholstery stretches back farther than it looks from the sidewalk on Balboa Street. Stacks...
As the city’s older population swells, seniors who can no longer live at home face high costs, limited choices
EDITOR'S NOTE: See full profiles of the seniors interviewed by clicking links within the story. A panoply...
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Maker of hand-printed books faces an unraveling, then begins to read the hidden thread in her own story
Like so many young people, Leigh McLellan had not clearly fixed on a career when she entered college. A course in graduate school piqued her passion for creating hand-printed books. It was a career she pursued for 15 years – before suddenly giving it up. McLellan, like many young people, had more to discover about ...
From ingenue to ‘old lady,’ veteran Bay Area actress ‘Verry McVerry’ says the roles keep on coming
Her father joked that Maureen McVerry came out of the womb and took a bow. The third girl born to the family in three years seemed destined to be in the spotlight. “At five, I sang ‘St. Louis Woman’ in a show and nailed it,” McVerry said, “and I wasn’t nervous at all.” From her ...
Getting seniors to exercise is final and favorite of her many careers, from Levi’s to KRON’s Bay TV newsroom
Sue Mittelman confesses to being a procrastinator. As such, she avows Walt Disney’s wise words: “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” It’s advice she wishes her mother had heeded and one she preaches as a leader of senior exercise groups. Mittelman, whose occupations have ranged from promotion and merchandising ...
UCSF medical students learn how to communicate with older patients – with respect and empathy
Coping with a series of migraine headaches is unpleasant enough. But being patronized and belittled when seeking treatment at an emergency room adds a good deal of insult to an already painful condition — especially if you’re an older adult. That’s what happened to Yael Li-Ron, a retired magazine editor, when she sought treatment at ...
In her 89th year, devout and disciplined Bayview super-volunteer keeps on serving her community
Beverly Ann Johnson Taylor, or Miss Taylor as she’s known to the many organizations for whom she volunteers, celebrates her 89th birthday this August. For 40 years, she has taught in the public schools, deriving both personal satisfaction and numerous accolades for her service. Retirement only opened new opportunities to serve her church and community. ...
She grew up enjoying symphonies at Stern Grove, then devoted herself as a volunteer after retiring
Native San Franciscan Susan Leurey grew up in an Italian household where the stirring music of Puccini, Verdi and Rossini operas undulated throughout. When her mother took her and her sister to the summer Stern Grove Festivals, Leurey also developed a love of symphonies. “It took about 10 seconds after I retired to decide to ...
