Julia Miller Thoron, who with her husband Sam (1939–2018) was a longtime LGBTQ+ community advocate and Bay Area-based leader of PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) National, passed on February 16 from complications of a recent stroke. Their son Benjamin shared: “She spent her last days surrounded by her three children (Joseph and Elizabeth, in addition to Benjamin), her grandchildren, brothers, and in-laws, no doubt listening to the sounds of conversation, stories, and laughter, just as she always delighted in.”
He added, “Julia’s friends remember the support and advice she so willingly provided, whether it was nursing or financial. Her activism could be quiet and private, or public and loud. She believed in women’s rights, quietly encouraged financial independence for her women friends, marched down Market Street in support of PFLAG, and was featured in the first statewide television commercial for the No on 8 campaign. It came from the heart, and she surprised herself with the fierceness of her actions. Her children remember cross-country travel, waiting for a restaurant breakfast to be served while listening to her read out loud from classic books. Her favorite place was on her window seat overlooking Tomales Bay, reading while her dear Sam sat nearby. We wish her smooth travel, a good book, and a lovely view.”
The mentioned No on 8 commercial may be viewed at: https://bit.ly/4baLbV9
It was one of many public declarations of support for not only her own out daughter, Elizabeth, but also for other LGBTQ+ individuals. She also stood by her husband, whom she married at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco in December 1962. Their engagement announcement had appeared in The New York Times.
The family had their own challenges, however, as Sam struggled with alcoholism. He joined Alcoholics Anonymous, and found connection and understanding with others grappling with addiction. Open about his problems, he stopped drinking in 1983 and worked to help others facing similar struggles.
With Julia’s full support, he served on the PFLAG National Board for ten years and as PFLAG National President from 2002–2006. She was nearly always with him at events, bolstering his work and evidencing the family’s unity around LGBTQ+ and other social justice issues. They financially supported numerous nonprofits, such as Horizons Foundation.
In 2015, the couple was honored by the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee as recipients of the José Julio Sarria History Maker Award, in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to the way society views the LGBTQ community.
A celebration of Julia’s life will be held on March 28, 2026, at 10 am at the First Unitarian Universality Society of San Francisco. Guests are asked to RSVP at https://bit.ly/3ZS7CJs
In Memoriam
Published on February 26, 2026
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