Ken Hamai
News of the passing of Ken Hamai was on the minds of many at this year’s Castro Street Fair, indicated Rink, who spoke of their tributes that have also been on social media. Hamai was a longtime supporter of LGBTQ-supporting nonprofits, including the GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance GAPA), the Imperial Council of San Francisco, the Richmond Ermet Aid Foundation (REAF), and more. He was often featured in San Francisco Bay Times stories, given his longstanding dedication to the local LGBTQ community.
With partner Jack Henyon, Hamai co-owned the Bay Winds Lighting Company, formerly at 2261 Market Street. Hamai was also known for his devotion to a large circle of friends as well as to many organizations. Before his passing, he donated a collection of papers to the GLBT Historical Society: https://tinyurl.com/46mk763z
Michael Ritter
On Friday, September 30, Rink visited Hibernia Beach and found memorial items posted in remembrance of Michael Carl Ritter (1954–2022), who died of hypothermia on Friday, September 16, following a treacherous swim in San Francisco Bay. He was a very experienced swimmer and athlete who was a member of the Dolphin Club and regularly swam in the Bay over the past decade. A strong current, however, impacted Ritter and two other swimmers, preventing them from returning to shore at the time they had planned. The other two individuals also sustained hypothermia, but survived.
Originally from South Carolina, Ritter traveled to San Francisco in the 1970s and decided to make his home here. He was a faculty member at San Francisco State for more than 30 years. There he taught counseling and provided mental health services. He founded the AIDS Coordinating Committee during the heart of the HIV/AIDS crisis, and was a social justice activist. He is greatly missed by his many friends and colleagues, as well as his husband and partner for more than 35 years, Peter Toscani.
Rink Remembers
Published on October 6, 2022
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