Published since 2005. San Francisco is a city that belongs to the people of the world. Hence this blog has a global focus. The name "Sam Spade's San Francisco" refers to an exciting era in the City's history, the time of Dashiell Hammett's fictional gumshoe and San Francisco character, Sam Spade. My name is Tom Dunn and I edit the blog. I'm not as exciting as Sam Spade, but I am definitely a San Francisco character.Contact or on Twitter -- Search blog below.
Search This Blog
Loading...
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Mike Thomas
I would like to mention the death of a man many of you may have never known, Mike Thomas. He was not a celebrity, a politician or otherwise notable, unless you have ever visited the First Unitarian Universalist Church in San Francisco. It is the stately stone church on the corner of Franklin and Geary ...not to be confused with the less architecturally distinct and far less historic Baptist church across the street.
Mike was not a minister at the church, which is properly titled the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco. They favor the abbreviation of FUUSF and the church is a member of the Unitarian-Universalist Association, one of the oldest denominations in North America. The San Francisco UU church is particularly distinguished because an early minister there, Rev. Thomas Starr King. Starr King, who was the UU minister from 1860 to 1864, traveled across California urging people to support the Union and bring an end to slavery. From 1862 to 1864, he raised huge sums of money for medical relief for the Union troops in the United States Civil War, and he is credited with "saving California for the Union." There is a mountain named after him in Yosemite National Park and another near his birthplace in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He is also honored with two statues: one in Golden Gate Park and another in the Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol. San Francisco's famous Union Square, is so named because of the pro-Union rallies Thomas Starr King conducted at the site.
Mike Thomas was familiar to everyone at FUUSF and to most people who visited the historic church. Mike was employed by FUUSF, working out of his famously cluttered office and always being present and ready to help ... whether he was on duty or not.
Everybody dies, and in most cases, at a time when we least expect it. Mike had attended all the holiday services at the church and was at home with his wife Barbara. He felt a bit sick to his stomach and decided to rest for a bit. He is resting still and will forever be so.
0 comments:
Post a Comment