December 29, 1943 �" May 5, 2015
San Francisco lost a dedicated homeless advocate when Nico de Ruijg died May 5, 2015 after a long struggle with heart disease.
The son of a village baker in Holland, Nico first came to the U.S. in 1967, moving initially to New York, before settling in Boston with the poet Ron Schreiber, his partner for 17 years.
Always known for his distinctive style of cross-dressing, Nico had a lifelong passion for textiles and sewing. He worked in the textiles department at Liberty of London and managed two locations of a textiles shop in Boston.
Shortly after coming to San Francisco in the mid-1990s, Nico became homeless for several years. After finally conquering sobriety, he ultimately acquired housing and went on to become a tireless advocate for the homeless himself, serving on the oversight committee of Shelter Plus Care, and volunteering for many other programs. He was also an active and devoted member of the Episcopal Church of St. John the Evangelist.
Nico is predeceased by his sister, Tiny, and brother, Henk. He is survived by his brother, Cor de Ruijg, his sisters-in-law, Nel and Trudi, nine nieces and nephews, the congregation at St. John's, and many, many loving friends.
A memorial service will be held for him at St. John the Evangelist, 1661 15th Street, San Francisco Saturday, May 16 at 4 p.m. Charitable donations can be made in his memory to the church at http://www.saintjohnsf.org or to Community Housing Partnership at http://www.chp-sf.org/donatenow/.