San Francisco mourns Dianne Feinstein, its iconic senator and former mayor

SAN FRANCISCO — As news of Dianne Feinstein’s death spread Friday, a stream of neighbors and longtime political allies stopped by the Lyon Street Steps outside her home to pay tribute to the city’s iconic senator and former mayor.

Mourners left giant bouquets of roses, orchids and lilies on the porch of her mansion in the city’s Pacific Heights neighborhood, an exclusive enclave with picturesque views of the foggy San Francisco Bay. Nancy Johnston, a neighbor from up the street, teared up as she briefly stopped to pray and trace the sign of the cross.

“She was so dedicated,” said Johnston, a 72-year-old retiree. “I admired her.”

Feinstein died at her home in Washington, D.C., on Thursday night, after several prolonged illnesses. She was 90 and had served in elected office for the vast majority of her adult life, including 31 years as California’s senior U.S. Senator. Before that, she was the city’s mayor and a member of the Board of Supervisors.

Many who stopped to pay their respects said Feinstein had been a towering figure in California politics for as long as they could remember — and several shared stories about how she impacted their lives.

Esperanza Rubio, a ticket broker for the San Francisco Giants, said she was 18 years old the first time she heard Feinstein speak out about gay rights. Rubio, who is a lesbian, said she was struck because Feinstein was one of the few senators who defended the community in the 1990s.

“She stood up in a time that was a no-no,” said Rubio, who’s now 44. “I thought, ‘Well, there’s somebody out there for us. Someone that’s going to protect us.’”

Rubio, who left a bouquet of yellow lilies with a thank-you card, said she hopes Feinstein will be remembered for how she changed policy on issues like LGBTQ rights and environmental protection — not for her recent health struggles or a bitter family court fight over the estate of her late husband, financier Richard Blum.

“I hope that she knew how much we respected and loved her,” Rubio said.

Neighbors who came by on their morning walks or jogs said they had rarely seen Feinstein outside her Pacific Heights mansion in recent times. One said it had been at least a few years since she last saw Feinstein out walking her dog.

Evelyn Rodriguez, who previously worked as an executive assistant at Blum’s investment firm, was overcome with emotion when she climbed the Lyon Street Steps outside Feinstein’s home.

“I’m a little shaking right now,” she said. Rodriguez said she worked for Blum for many years, a position that came with highly unusual perks like flying on the couple’s private plane and meeting global dignitaries like the Dalai Lama and former President Bill Clinton.

At San Francisco City Hall, Mayor London Breed praised Feinstein during a news conference. She evoked a painful chapter in city history, the 1978 assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. Feinstein, then president of the Board of Supervisors, instantly became the mayor and led the city through the crisis.

“She was a beacon of hope and inspiration during a very dark and tragic time, which cemented her legacy as an extraordinary leader,” Breed said.