Over the past 14 months, four of San Francisco's most influential citizens have died: Donald Fisher, Evelyn Haas, Walter Shorenstein and Richard Goldman. It's easy to say that their influence came about because of their money - they were all immensely wealthy, and most of them were known as tough, tenacious businesspeople.

But their lasting influence comes from what they did with their success.

Just try to imagine San Francisco without SFMOMA, Crissy Field, the San Francisco Symphony or even the San Francisco Giants. Without the efforts of these four titans, we'd all be living in a much less enriching and exciting city.

Their deaths have come at an interesting time, both for the city of San Francisco and for the world of philanthropy. The city is broke, and much of the political leadership is mired in bickering at City Hall. The cultural vibrancy of San Francisco has helped to make it one of the nation's most expensive places to live, while a national trend toward income inequality has ensured that fewer and fewer people can afford to live here.


Spotted here