December 31, 1939  – July 17, 2025 Jack Weir Lenk passed away peacefully July 17, 2025, at age 85 in his beloved Castro neighborhood of San Francisco.

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Jack came of age in the 1950s as a gay man, hiding his true self from his mother and older brother, but finding acceptance from his sister, Wanda “Flip” Walters – a dancer and choreographer – and his father, Walter Lenk, a drummer with the Francis Craig Orchestra.

After a brief time in Santa Barbara, Jack arrived in San Francisco in 1967. He worked for 12 years as a bartender at the late Rikki Streicher’s iconic Castro bars. In June, Jack spent time with the new owners of Rikki’s, Sara Yergovich and Danielle Thoe, sharing stories – including how he famously had to escort Janis Joplin from the bar on more than

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