Amy Hittner

1941 - 2025

Amy Hittner
11/24/1941 - 10/23/2025
Dr. Amy Hittner, beloved friend, educator, counselor, mentor, and advocate for equity and social justice, passed away peacefully in San Francisco on Thursday, October 23, 2025 at the age of 83.
Born in New York City on November 24, 1941, Amy grew up in Brooklyn surrounded by the love and strength of her mother, Sophie Hittner, and her two aunts, Ruth and Sybil. The three sisters modeled resilience, independence, and compassion-qualities that became the foundation of Amy's own life. After Amy's father, George Hittner, passed away when she was only twelve, her mother returned to the workforce and raised Amy and her brother, David, with grace and determination. From an early age, Amy showed curiosity, intelligence, and empathy for others. She graduated from high school in New York and earned her bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College before leaving for California, where she completed a Master's in Counseling at San Francisco State University and later earned her Doctorate in Counseling at UC Berkeley.
Amy's professional life reflected her lifelong belief that education is a force for personal and social transformation. She began her career as a teacher of social studies and physical education in Pittsburg, California, before serving as a counselor at San Francisco's Woodrow Wilson High School. She went on to teach counseling at George Mason University in Virginia and later returned to her academic home at San Francisco State University (SFSU), where she served for more than two decades as professor, department chair, and associate dean. During her time at SFSU, Dr. Hittner became known as a dynamic leader, meticulous organizer, and fierce advocate for students. She served as principal investigator on several major federal grants, including the Safe Start Initiative, which trained early childhood educators in violence prevention, and HealthPath, which encouraged underrepresented students to pursue careers in the health professions. Her leadership, vision, and compassion shaped generations of counselors and educators who carry forward her legacy of service and inclusion.
After retiring from SFSU in 2004, Amy remained deeply engaged with her community. She directed San Francisco Democratic Women in Action, served on the boards of the Older Women's League and the Legacy Film Festival on Aging, and continued her lifelong commitment to creating opportunity for others. To honor her mother's strength, Amy and her brother established the Sophie Hittner Scholarship for single-parent undergraduates at SFSU. Later, she created the Amy Hittner Counseling Scholarship Fund, awarded annually to a student of exceptional scholarship and dedication to multicultural communities. These scholarships have supported countless students who, like Amy, believed in education's power to change lives.
Amy met the love of her life, Dr. Harry Bornstein, on a blind date in San Francisco when she was 35. They married the following year and shared 36 years of marriage until Harry's passing in 2014. Together, they built a life of mutual respect, adventure, and purpose. Harry, a renowned deaf education scholar and creator of Signed English, and Amy shared both professional and personal passions. They lived and taught in Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, and Budapest, and traveled widely through Europe, North Africa, and Asia. From teaching in Hong Kong during the 1997 handover to counseling Holocaust survivors in Hungary, Amy's experiences deepened her empathy and global perspective.
Those who knew Amy remember her warmth, humor, intelligence, and unwavering belief in human potential. She was a devoted sister, aunt, stepmother, friend, and mentor who brought light and integrity to every space she entered. Amy is survived by her brother, US District Judge David Hittner, of Houston, Texas; her nieces Miriam and Susan, and nephew George, and their families; and a wide circle of cherished friends and colleagues. Amy lived her life in the spirit of her mother's example-caring deeply, working tirelessly, and believing in others. Her impact endures in the students she taught, the communities she served, and the lives she changed.
A memorial celebration of Amy's life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Sophie Hittner Scholarship Fund at San Francisco State University at https://give.sfsu.edu/26SHSEF. To donate by check, please contact Dafna Kapshud at dkapshud@sfsu.edu.