We were saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. John Luce, a former SFGHF Board Member who dedicated nearly three decades of his life to Zuckerberg San Francisco General.  

Born in San Francisco in 1942, John came to medicine after first working as a journalist, eventually training in pulmonary and critical care and returning home to become Chief Medical Officer and Professor of Clinical Medicine at SFGH. He became a leading voice in AIDS research and helped to develop the first inpatient unit for patients, pioneering a new standard of care for the disease.

End-of-life care became an integral part of John’s clinical practice and a major focus of his research. He published frequently, including writing six books, and became a leading ethicist in his field and advocate for the rights of critically ill patients.

John passed away earlier this month from complications of pneumonia, leaving behind his wife, Dr. Judy Luce, and their family. His life’s work reminds us why our mission matters: he believed, in practice and in policy, that every San Franciscan deserves world-class care.