Rubin Glickman

Rubin Glickman
Today, on what would have been Rubin's 89th birthday, we look back on a life well lived and remember a man always ahead of his time.
Rubin Harold Glickman was born in Chicago to Syril and Samuel Glickman on February 27, 1935. He attended Senn High School and Lake Forest College before earning a law degree from Northwestern University.
Rubin moved to San Francisco in 1959 with his first wife, Shirley Boccaccio, and quickly fell in love with the City by the Bay. He represented entertainment icons including Bill Graham, Janis Joplin, and members of Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. He would later build an impressive portfolio as a real estate developer, with projects spanning Northern California, including the historic Hamm's Building.
Rubin's true passion was health and wellness. He pioneered the city's health food movement, opening the vegetarian restaurant Shandygaff in 1969. And he championed fitness across San Francisco, creating the Mayor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under George Moscone and serving as chairman for many years.
Rubin led by example: he started his days with a run at Crissy Field or bike ride in the Marin Headlands, and ended them with a swim at the Bay Club. He ran marathons around the world and made countless friends, and converts, through his exercise exploits.
After decades as a bachelor, Rubin married Linden Murphy in 1986, and they welcomed their daughter, Kathryn, in 1990. A late-in-life father, Rubin fully embraced the role, telling the Chronicle that "the experiences I've had [as a father] far exceed any other experiences."
Rubin passed peacefully at his San Francisco home on April 5, 2023. He is survived by his daughter, Kathryn Glickman Schott; his son-in-law, Frederick Schott; his granddaughters, Wren and Adeline Schott; his brother, Stuart Glickman; and countless dear friends. We'll be enjoying an espresso and scone today in his honor.