The Rev Cecil Williams, the longtime head of a church that grew to international fame for being a safe haven for San Francisco’s most marginalized citizens, has died. He was 94 years old. He, alongside his wife and poet Janice Mirikitani, transformed Glide Memorial church into an institution built on love and support for the city’s queer community and those struggling with homelessness and drug addiction. Mirikitani died in 2021 at 80.
Williams died on Monday at his home in San Francisco surrounded by friends and family, Glide said in a statement. A cause of death was not given.
