Elliott R. Blackstone

Elliott R. Blackstone Former San Francisco Police Sgt. Elliott R. Blackstone went home to be with the Lord on October 25, 2006, following a major stroke. Born November 30, 1924 to Elmer and Dorothy (Ruble) Blackstone, Elliott grew up in Chinook, MT. He graduated from Chinook High School (class of 1942) and immediately joined the United States Navy. He served in Naval Air in the Pacific Theater of World War II. He was honorably discharged in San Francisco, and happily made Northern California his home for the rest of his life. Elliott loved life and his fellow human beings, whom he treated with humor, compassion and respect. He became a sworn San Francisco police officer in 1949, serving until his retirement in 1975. As one of the City's ground-breaking Community Relations officers, he became the nation's first police liaison with the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender community and a tireless advocate for its individual members. For this service he received many honors. In June, 2006 he received commendations from the California State Senate, the California State Assembly, the San Francisco Police Commission and the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, and the Pride Foundation of San Francisco named him Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal for the most recent Gay Pride Parade. In addition to his police work, Elliott worked part time for the SF Police Credit Union from its founding in 1956 until 2000. He was recognized for his years of political advocacy on behalf of credit unions in 2006, when he received an "Unsung Heroes Award" from the California Credit Union League. A man of many parts, he also served as a teacher of Community Relations and the Administration of Justice at the College of Marin, a Realtor (Better Homes, then Carr Realty), and was a dedicated community volunteer in organizations and committees too numerous to list. Elliott was preceded in death by his parents and by his younger brother, Keith Blackstone. He is survived by his former spouses, Lois (Saunders) Lindstrom and Constance (Cloney) Blackstone; his wife and beloved partner of 28 years, JoAn; their sons, daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Keith R. Blackstone, Craig R. Blackstone and Laurie Ellen Taylor from his marriage with Lois, David Wolfskill, John Wolfskill, Minta Ann Harding and Mary Ybarra, who were added to his family when he married JoAn in 1978, their respective spouses (now sons and daughters all), Tami Blackstone, Cindy Blackstone, David Taylor, Lynette Dowling, Jackie Wolfskill, Peter Harding, and John Ybarra; grandchildren Sabrina Smith, Felicia Ybarra, Kari Ann Hussong, Kristy Lee Hussong, R. Reece Blackstone, Brenna Blackstone, Sarah Ybarra, Benjamin Ybarra, Scott Wolfskill, Alice Harding, Laura Wolfskill, Dakota Blackstone, Rachel Ybarra, and Hannah Ybarra, and great grandsons Sebastion Elliott Olkewicz, Dominic Olkewicz and Lawrence Boutwell, as well as countless friends and other relatives. Elliott was greatly loved, and will be greatly missed. A service of Witness to the Resurrection and celebration of his life will be held Saturday, November 11 at 12:30 p.m. at the Broadmoor Presbyterian Church, 377 87th Street, Daly City. In lieu of flowers, his family suggests contributions to the Broadmoor Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, 995 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94103, or San Francisco Network Ministries, 559 Ellis St., San Francisco, CA 94109.