July 31, 1952 — November 2, 2023
Vivian "Drew" Hassele, 71, sister and friend to many, passed away on November 2, 2023. She was preceded in death by her brother Fred and her parents, Walter and Tina, and is survived by her siblings, Janet, Kenneth, Carol, and Danny, as well as her lifelong friend and former domestic partner, Kecia Leonard.
Originally hailing from New York and Long Island, and always proudly keeping that NYC swagger, she called the San Francisco Bay Area home for the last 46 years. Her prime years of youth and vigor were spent immersed in, and embraced by, the burgeoning LGBTQ community of the 1970s and 1980s. Community members are most likely to recognize her as a longtime bartender and maintenance manager for Amelia's Bar on Valencia Street.
For medical reasons, Vivian retired in the mid-1990s. A fixture at local libraries and fascinated with history and sociology, she loved taking classes at Skyline and Cañada colleges. There she joined the Gay-Straight Student Alliances to continue her outreach. She courageously lived out and proud, educating by example — using warmth, compassion, faith, and humor — to bring people to understanding and acceptance. She was an exceptional woman who is deeply loved and missed.
Your remembrances and photos are most welcome here.
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