We are saddened by the loss of Duff Axsom, a longtime member of CLC’s Board of Directors, trusted advisor, and friend. His memorial will be Friday, July 31 at 11:00 at Church of the Advent of Christ the King, 261 Fell Street with a small reception to follow.
Duff brought kindness, warmth, and his deep belief in community to CLC. He cared about connection: how people find one another, support one another, and build a sense of belonging. He appreciated CLC’s neighborhood-based work and the way our Community Connectors stay rooted in the needs and strengths of their individual neighborhoods.
Those of us who served with Duff will remember his positive spirit, thoughtful advice, and generous way of sharing what he knew. Jarmin Yeh, CLC’s Board President, shared that “Duff’s bright spirit and smiling face were such a joy. I thoroughly enjoyed being on the CLC board with Duff. He will be so dearly missed.” Ramona Davies, our Board Vice President added, “This is a loss of a significant voice on the board, a source of wisdoms, experience and the advocate for LGBTQ+ lives.”
Throughout his life, Duff’s work reflected a commitment to service, counseling, nonprofit leadership, and social responsibility. He was active in anti-war and farmworker rights efforts in San Francisco and worked in substance use counseling, self-help groups, nonprofit management, fundraising, and consulting. He also served San Francisco General Hospital through its Community Advisory Board for Psychiatric Services and Sojourn Chaplaincy.
At CLC, Duff served on the Board of Directors, contributed to the Resource Development Committee, and helped guide a board committee focused on upgrading CLC’s database and other systems as the organization grew. He offered wisdom about fundraising, board responsibilities, and the practical work needed to strengthen a growing nonprofit.
After retiring from fundraising, Duff returned to his counseling work, serving as one of CLC’s first ReServists. In that role, he worked at OpenHouse, where he facilitated support groups.
We are so grateful for Duff’s leadership, dedication, kindness, and so many contributions to CLC. We will miss his wisdom, his smile, and his generous spirit.
You can read more about Duff’s life in this Senior Beat profile.
Duff’s apartment had some lovely things that his friends would like to share – artwork, plants, books of poetry, cookbooks, and more. If you are interested in some of the things below, email marie@sfcommunityliving.org.
