Ernestine Weiss

1924 - 2020

Ernestine Waters Weiss
January 12, 1924 - September 11, 2020
Ernestine Waters Weiss, a San Francisco gadfly and feather-ruffling presence in its civic and political landscape, died Friday still very much in love with the city she championed and challenged for almost four decades. She was "96 and then some," as she put it.

Ernestine was an inveterate fighter to the end, intensely proud of her grass roots crusades to improve the quality of life in her adopted city. While she never used a computer or engaged with social media, Ernestine was a highly sophisticated, media-savvy player, organizer and activist, a combination that made her unusually effective in supporting the issues dear to her heart: curbing redevelopment, protecting open spaces, fighting for affordable housing and public transportation, and advocating for the powerless—the elderly, the homeless and marginalized communities. No cause was too big—or too small—for her to take on, believing as she did that "No matter what anyone tells you, one person at the grass roots can make all the difference."

Mostly, she was a positive check on city government, making sure that elected leaders did the right thing—and San Francisco is a better place for it.

Brooklyn-bred Ernestine was, by turns, charming, refreshing, and a persistent terror to her adversaries. When it wasn't fashionable to take on causes, she never shied away from controversy—and she usually got results. After the Loma Prieta Earthquake destroyed the blight of the Embarcadero Freeway, for example, Ernestine seized the opportunity to create Ferry Park, now known as Sue Bierman Park.

As she told Luke Thomas of Fog City Journal in a 2009 story, "Oh no, this is for the people. Nobody's going to get this park if I have my way." Today, there is a plaque at the Drumm and Clay Street entrance to the park honoring Ernestine for her "tireless efforts" to secure this green space for the city.

Tenacious as a pit bull, when necessary, Ernestine sank her teeth into a cause and never let go. Although she claimed that dialogue was a preferred tool for change, she interpreted that term broadly, employing direct confrontation if more mannerly engagement didn't prevail. As such, she was a regular at City Hall, holding forth on all manner of local issues—including stopping what she called "hotelization" to ensure affordable housing for middle- and low-income workers and city personnel. Mayors, commissioners and supervisors sometimes welcomed her input—and more often than not, suffered from her presence as she persistently argued for them to take action.

When moved to action, she would find her way to a lecturn before a city commission, often unaided, catapulted by her own determination. Following Aaron Peskin's unopposed re-election as President of the Board of Supervisors in 2007, Ernestine summoned herself up in the packed chamber and, hinting at the discord that often dominated the relationsjip between the mayor and the board during the preceding year, asked the board to "please kiss and make up, all of you, with the mayor." Newsom and Peskin rose to the occasion by shaking hands in a perfect photo op make up gesture.

Ernestine grew up in the Williamsburg and Clinton Hill districts of Brooklyn. She graduated from the prestigious Girls High School and then worked as an administrative assistant and eventually as secretary to David Tishman. She joined the local Democratic Party, married, had a son, and divorced to go it alone after 18 months.

Ernestine is survived by her son David Stephen Zalob, granchildren Sasha Desmarais Zalob and Simon Desmarais Zalob and great grandchildren Maya Zalob and Avital "Tali" Zalob. She was predeceased by her second husband Bernard David Weiss. A memorial service will be held at Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco as and when public health directives permit. Memorial donations may be made to the San Francisco Parks Alliance and/or the Golden Gate National Park Conservancy.