Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bay Area Reporter - November 24, 2005
Cynthia Laird, c.laird@ebar.com
The cause of death is pending completion of an autopsy.
Mr. Pendo's friends and colleagues at the AIDS office were stunned by his unexpected death and deeply saddened by the news.
"Mike Pendo was a brilliant and deeply committed community health professional," Steven Tierney, HIV prevention director, told the Bay Area Reporter in an e-mail. "Although he was working on a Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, Mike was the person in our office who always reminded us to 'keep it real.' He truly was a champion of those he served: gay men, injector community, and the women at St. James Infirmary. His voice will continue to guide our work."
"Although Michael always looked like he had just stepped out of the SOMA Powerhouse bar, he was gentle and studious," said Health Director Dr. Mitch Katz. "He was an academic Ph.D. candidate with a social change agenda. I miss him a lot already."
Mr. Pendo joined the San Francisco Department of Public Health in 1992 as a volunteer after meeting one of his new "sisters" at an AIDS conference in San Francisco, where he was exploring public health as a way of "fighting for the underdog." His enthusiasm, intellect, and charm earned him a part-time position with both the AIDS office's HIV Prevention Section and City Clinic as a health educator in training where he worked on developing guidelines for the safe operations of sex clubs and developed the first comprehensive guide to oral sex.
While working part time, Mr. Pendo earned a master's degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley.
"He was brilliant as both a health educator and behavioral epidemiologist," said Valerie Rose, a colleague of Mr. Pendo's. "Mike devoted his time and energy to working on programs or initiating research that were based on the priorities of the communities he served as a public health practitioner."
At the time of his death, Mr. Pendo was working on his doctoral dissertation, which was about the "party 'n play" study that he led for the health department.
"Mike was grounded in a community-based participatory research approach and he believed strongly that the results of research should be given to the community first," said Rose.
Rose added that Mr. Pendo was a great friend. "He took you into his heart and insisted upon you being a part of him," she said.
"He would do anything for you," said his close friend, Fernando Aguayo-Garcia.
"Mike was a great dinner companion; he loved good food and was a fantastic cook," said his friend, Neel Eargood.
Mr. Pendo was the youngest of six children, a California native, and world traveler especially to Europe and Latin America. He is survived by his parents; four sisters; one brother; brothers- and sister-in-law; 12 nieces and nephews; and a goddaughter, Annamae.
A fund has been established by his family in Mr. Pendo's name. Donations can be made to the Mike Pendo Fund in care of the San Francisco Study Center; checks payable to SFSC/Mike Pendo Fund. For more information, please contact Tracey Packer at (415) 554-9992.
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