Life in the Later Lane
Former art galley president helps people craft their deepest feelings in ‘lasting letters’ to loved ones
Looking out at Monterey Bay from Santa Cruz early one morning last year, a pair of silhouetted...
September 1, 2026
S.F. protest’s Tin Man has a history of making good trouble on behalf of empathy and kindness
Arthur Persyko loves to make trouble. The good kind, that is. As a young man, he protested...
August 24, 2026
Born to dance: Tammy Thornton struts her stuff with the Warriors’ senior dance team
It’s game night at San Francisco’s Chase Center and the Golden State Warriors are not the only...
August 10, 2026
Childhood bond with an older neighbor steered law officer’s choice of career and community work
A tarnished silver coin from 1964, likely worth only $10 to any dealer, reminds Richard Lyons Corriea...
August 2, 2026
As a teacher, playwright & screenwriter, Cary Pepper has lots of inside Hollywood info to share
You probably stream most of your movies. But if you happen to rent a film on old-style...
July 15, 2026
All-women punk band still on stage thanks to leader’s career, which started in a mortuary
Invite Klara Lux somewhere, and she’ll always show up early – except on the rare occasion when...
July 6, 2026
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?”...
June 29, 2026
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...
June 4, 2026
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...
May 28, 2026
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...
April 14, 2026
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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Get testing, counseling, training then go shopping at Lighthouse’s store for low- and hi-tech vision aids
I kept looking for the brightness button on my TV to lighten up scenes that seemed to be filmed in the dead of night. Unfortunately, there’s no “time for cataracts surgery” pop-up message on the screen, even on the smartest TV. Apparently I’m not alone. About 10 percent of adult Americans 18 and older (some 26.9 ...
Feistiness and array of support services keep senior active and independent despite damages of diabetes
Diabetes has ruled Marlene Hunn’s life since she was diagnosed at age two. But not wanting to become isolated or housebound, she has made a point of getting support from her friends – and the wide range of services available to her in San Francisco. She may have her bad days and crying jags, but ...
Smart phones and devices offer seniors new skills to thrive in the digital world
Tindy Lee, 66, learned how to use YouTube to connect to the TV so she didn’t have to pay to stream shows anymore. And now she’s an avid user – connecting with Facebook, calling family and friends on WeChat, checking the weather, taking photos and using calendar alerts to help her keep track of her ...
Chronicler of ’60s rock still nurturing a passion born at age 5
Richie Unterberger was only a child when the counterculture ‘60s were blossoming. But he had three older brothers who introduced him to the music. By the age of five, he was a Beatles fan, asking for their records at every gift-giving opportunity. He was seven when Woodstock took place. At eight, he bought his first ...
Chasing down the family tree: tripping over software, relatives’ impatience – and longevity
Rose Mary Mitchell decided to trace her mother’s family tree; someone had already done her father’s. Little did she know the challenges she would face. And not just the genealogy research. Over eight years, she struggled to find the right computer software on which to build the tree. Family members she asked to do research ...
As actor ages, more roles come in for moms and grandmas in commercials
Maya Mahrer says she “popped out of the womb wanting to be an actor.” She is still popping, finding herself at an age when “Ma” and “Grandma” roles in commercials are coming her way. While many in their later years are finding jobs elusive, Mahrer, 81, said, “Aging is providing me with more work.” For ...
