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Rush Sturges
1939 - 2025
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Rush Sturges Obituary
02/15/1939 - 12/02/2025
Rush Sturges was born to Sandol and Benjamin Sturges on February 15, 1939 in Providence, Rhode Island, a brother to Dorothy and Sandy (deceased) Sturges.
Rush met the love of his life and future wife, Jayne Kiley, on a blind date in 1962 while he was at Boston University. They married in 1964 and drove to San Francisco the following year for a visit that lasted 60 years.
He initially found work as an ambulance driver before he began a lifelong career as a carpenter. He was a proud member of the Carpenter's Union Local 22 for more than 50 years.
Rush was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. A kind, gracious and hard working man, Rush enriched the lives of those around him. His dedication to social justice issues, organized labor and equality will be remembered by many and carried on by those who loved him.
Rush is survived by his wife, Jayne, their two sons, Paul (Candice), Ben (Raquel), and his grandchildren Madison (Brennon), Jimmy and Will.
Please consider a donation in Rush's memory to your local PBS Station or KQED.
Friends are invited to visit on Saturday, December 13, 2025 at Duggan's Serra Mortuary, 500 Westlake Ave. in Daly City beginning at 3pm. A service will begin at 5pm.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memorial Events
for Rush Sturges
Funeral services provided by:
Duggan's Serra Mortuary - Daly City500 Westlake Avenue, Daly City, CA 94014
Memories and Condolences
for Rush Sturges
Sponsored by Duggan's Serra Mortuary - Daly City.
4 Entries
Bob Puccetti
December 12, 2025
Rush was a stand up guy God bless him
Tom Doudiet
December 11, 2025
I first met Rush when he was rebuilding the doors and windows at SFFD fire station 35, the quarters of the fireboats, where I was assigned as a lieutenant. The building, dating from 1915, has historical landmark status and the replacements for the badly weathered doors and windows had to be exact duplicates in order to maintain the integrity of the building. When I saw the quality of his work, I knew that not only was he a master craftsman, but one of the most conscientious workmen I had ever met.
While chatting about San Francisco History, including the labor strikes of the 1930s and other important milestones, we realized that we had many common interests.
In early 2018, when I saw an announcement that the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury was looking for volunteers to serve for the 2018-2019 session, I immediately thought of Rush. When I alerted him to the announcement, he came forward and put his name in for consideration. He was chosen to serve for the year, and was involved in the investigation of the impossibly slow pace of the expansion of the City's Auxiliary Water Supply high-pressure hydrant system, despite the passage of two capital bonds for that purpose. The result of that investigation was the 114 page report "Act Now Before It Is Too Late: Aggressively Expand And Enhance Our High-Pressure Emergency Firefighting Water System", which I believe will eventually prove to be one of the most significant documents in the history of San Francisco, because it details the absolute necessity of extending this hydrant system into all San Francisco neighborhoods before the next great Bay Area earthquake strikes. I believe that Rush was instrumental in convincing his fellow grand jurors to conduct the investigation and produce the report. For that effort, as well as for the exemplary and highly principled life he led, he should be honored and remembered as a San Franciscan of the highest caliber.
Jeffrey Robitaille and Family
December 11, 2025
Great memories of our visits with Rush, Jayne and family may he rest in peace.
Susan and Albert Alioto
December 10, 2025
May he rest in peace and the Lord comfort his family.
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