Hoffman, Fredric Lee

Fred was Russ Field's partner. Russ was active in the Harvey Milk Club. Russ died in 1995. There is a photo (taken by Chronicle staff photographer Tom Levy) of Fred, Russ and Fred's doctor, Dr. Bill Owen, at Fred's bedside at St. Luke's Hospital, in the June 2, 2011 Chronicle historical article, AIDS at 30.

I am so grateful this photo has reentered our collective consciousness. When I rediscovered, through research, this photo of Fred, Russ and Dr. Owen, I told Dr. Owen about it through an email communication in early April 2013. Dr. Owen, who continues his medical practice in San Francisco, sent me these words in return: I remember Fred and Russ as if they were still here today. Coincidentally, that evocative photo came up in conversation this week when I was telling a patient...how that image totally captures that early phase of the AIDS epidemic.