Vera Haile Dalenberg (1934-2014)

Vera Haile Dalenberg September 20, 1934 - July 9, 2014 Vera Haile Dalenberg of San Francisco, California, died on July 9, 2014 at Kaiser Hospital. She was surrounded by friends and family at the time of her passing. She was a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, the only child of Frank and Vera Haile. She moved to San Francisco after graduating from Antioch College in Ohio and earned her Master of Social Welfare degree from UC Berkeley. On July 3, 1973, she married Ananda Claude Dalenberg. She is survived by twin daughters Laura Dalenberg and Diane Dalenberg Schoonover. Vera was a lifelong advocate who challenged the City to do its very best for immigrants, seniors, and all low-income or underserved people. She began her long and notable career in social service at San Francisco's Department of Social Services, then went to Self-Help for the Elderly in San Francisco's Chinatown and then served as the Executive Director of North of Market Senior Services (now the Curry Senior Center), where she helped develop a number of innovative neighborhood-based programs. Retirement only brought more opportunities for leadership. She served on the Aging and Adult Services Commission, the Advisory Council to the Aging and Adult Services Department, the Mayor's Long Term Care Coordinating Council, co-chair of the San Francisco In-Home Supportive Services Task Force, founding board member of the Community Living Campaign, and has been active with the Coalition of Agencies Serving the Elders and Senior for Disability Action. She served on the Commission for Immigrant Rights since its beginning and was considered to be the Commission's oral historian and expert. Earlier this year, Mercy Housing California and the St. Anthony Foundation broke ground on the Vera Haile Elder Residence, located at 121 Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco's Tenderloin. Named in her honor, the Residence is a new 10-story apartment community featuring 90 affordable rental apartment homes for low-income seniors. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sfgate/obituary.aspx?pid=171723270#sthash.LhSmbCPI.dpuf