Gladys S. Thacher

1929 - 2025

Gladys S. Thacher
07/11/1929 - 04/03/2025
Gladys Stevens Thacher, beloved longtime San Francisco nonprofit leader, died peacefully on April 3rd at home, surrounded by her family. She was 95 years old.
Born on July 11, 1929, in New York City, Gladys studied art and philosophy at Smith College and, after moving west in 1953, pursued painting at the California School of Fine Arts.
Mrs. Thacher went on to co-found over half a dozen successful nonprofits and organizations during her lifetime, each in response to the needs of a particular community navigating a challenging stage of life. She earned a reputation as a fearless advocate and fundraiser of her causes and fought for the dignity of every individual.
In 1969, Gladys converted the large living room of her Presidio Heights home into a vibrant hub for multiple community groups, starting with Enterprise for High School Students. With only a few volunteers, a 3M copier on the piano and a card catalogue, the group matched young people with jobs to build their confidence and find opportunity. The organization survives to this day, having served over 25,000 youths to date.
Her dedication to self-realization soon extended to her alma mater Smith College, where she recognized the same phenomenon of people feeling disempowered at a transitional moment in life. Alumnae Resource, which later became Lifeprint, was created to provide counseling and employment services for recently graduated women, and eventually men, entering the workforce
In the wake of California's Proposition 13 in 1978, which limited property taxes used for school funding, Gladys was instrumental in founding the San Francisco Education Fund to channel private contributions into public schools and make up for the shortfall. She served as the Executive Director for over 11 years. The Ed Fund grew to become one of the city's largest nonprofits and was a model for similar organizations around the country.
The aptly named Life Plan Center was born of her own transition into a second chapter of life after leaving the Ed Fund. This organization helped those 50 or above find fulfillment through career guidance, self-assessment and workshops. The rise of internet based career resources contributed to the closing of both Life Plan and Lifeprint in the early 2000's but they left a lasting impact on many lives.
Post retirement, Gladys continued her fight for the human needs of the Bay Area community. In 2009, she co-founded the San Francisco Village to address concerns about aging and housing for older people in the city. It remains a thriving community of over 650 members and 200 volunteers.
Her late husband, attorney and philanthropist James Thacher, supported her efforts all along the way. They spent many summers traveling Europe or hiking the Sierras together with friends and family. He died in 2008.
In her final years, Gladys was still writing poetry, advising friends and former colleagues and experiencing a late-life romance and lasting companionship with longtime San Francisco Chronicle science editor David Perlman before he passed away in 2021. Former mayor London Breed proclaimed July 11, 2019 "Glady Thacher Day" in recognition of her commitment to uplifting everyday San Franciscans, declaring her "an irreplaceable part of our city."
She is survived by her four children, Hally of New York City, Tom of Fallbrook in San Diego County, Glady of Santa Monica, and Will of Novato. There are also 10 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, her sister, Mary Stevens Fillman, half-sister, Bay Stevens, and many close friends.
A gathering to celebrate Gladys' extraordinary and serendipitous life will be held later in the spring.
The family asks that contributions in her memory be sent to Enterprise for Youth (enterpriseforyouth.org), San Francisco Education Fund (sfedfund.org) and San Francisco Village (sfvillage.org). They also request any inquiries, reflections and memories of Glady be sent to glady.memories@gmail.com.