Obituaries: Ralph Newton Jennings

  • by BAR staff
  • Wednesday January 20, 2021
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Ralph Newton Jennings
Ralph Newton Jennings

1949 — December 8, 2020

Ralph Newton Jennings, former comptroller of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, died in his sleep in Ajijic, Mexico, on December 8, 2020, from heart disease. He was 71.

Ralph was a native of Kosciusko, Mississippi, and a graduate of the University of Mississippi (B.S. accounting), and San Francisco State University (MBA). He worked as an auditor for the state of Mississippi in Jackson before becoming an accountant for Nabisco in Burlingame, California, followed by his position at SFAF. He was also an usher for the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Hall and participated in fundraising for AIDS charities in the Bay Area, including the old California AIDS Ride.

He retired to Ajijic, Mexico in 2007, where he volunteered at the Lake Chapala Society Library. He was preceded in death by his parents and partner, the Reverend Theodore Boya of Dallas. He is survived by his three sisters, one brother, and 21 first cousins. He was cremated in San Pedro, Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, Mexico, and his ashes spread over the Pacific Ocean at Manzanillo Beach and in the mountains around Lake Chapala.

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