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BORN
1931
DIED
2021
David ROTHKOP Obituary
David was raised primarily by his mother in San Francisco. After graduating from high school in 1949 he continued his studies at San Francisco State College, earning a Bachelors and a Masters of Arts as well as his California teaching credentials.
David's passion for the civil rights movement began during his college years when he organized a peaceful protest on his campus. His civil rights activism caught the attention of Martin Luther King Jr. who sent him a telegram acknowledging his efforts; it's still mounted on the wall of his home. This experience ignited a lifelong passion for supporting civil rights, social justice, and environmental movements. David also founded the San Francisco Folk Music Club in 1948, a club that still exists today.
David was an entrepreneur and, amongst other ventures, he owned and operated the Haight Ashbury I and Thou coffee house in San Francisco. He loved to travel, with visits including Europe, Israel and Mexico. He loved to garden and readily shared his skills with others. He created a bountiful oasis in his back yard with fruit trees, flowers, and vegetables. David also had a great sense of humour, a vivid imagination, and a knack for storytelling. He had a fondness for art and loved to create his own images.
He is survived by his sisters Sonja and Michele; his children Rami, Dana, and Kaila; and his grandchildren Jordon, April, Chelsea, Camille, and Graeme. The family will host a Celebration of Life after COVID restrictions have been lifted.
Memories and Condolences
for David ROTHKOP
3 Entries
Christine Twist
May 17, 2021
Dave was a wonderful neighbour for the past 20+ years. He used to stop and chat when we were outside in the yard and he was walking his dog. He would tell us all about the neighbourhood, the who's who and the history. We was a wealth of knowledge and just one of the friendliest men you would ever meet. We are very sorry for your loss and he will be missed.
Laureen Skinner
April 20, 2021
David was one of my favourite customers. Please let me know when you're having his celebration of life. He had great stories.
Scott Karpes
March 27, 2021
I copy and paste a little piece I wrote about Dave the other day to let neighbours know he had passed (below.) He was a sweetheart of a neighbour and he will be missed. Our oldest son used to help him with chores in the backyard sometimes....
‘Old Man Dave’ we called him. Dave Rothcop, our friend and neighbour passed away last week. This photo was at his 80th Birthday about a decade ago, in his backyard.
He came to the first couple of Garden Crawls, very enthusiastically (and maybe one or two after that but as his body had aged and he was quite slow, he didn’t feel he was able to come along anymore...)
The last time I saw him was when Laurie McKenzie Jones organized the little gathering in his front yard last summer. He was quite frail and he was too afraid to come hang out with us (because of Covid) but he sat on his front steps and had a glass of wine while we played some music.
Dave was a real character. He was one of the founders of the San Francisco Folk Music Society (this is a huge thing to me!) and had a Coffee House somewhere in the thick of it all in Haight/Ashbury, among all the poets and music and art...
He used to come to our music nights and read some slightly naughty poems...
He taught me that ‘All Real Living is Meeting’. He was a good man and I’ll miss him. ❤
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