MARY GENNOY -- MARIJUANA ADVOCATE

Mary Elaine Gennoy, a medical marijuana activist and a ubiquitous and
popular figure in the Castro, where she lived and once ran as a
write-in candidate for San Francisco supervisor, died Sept. 5 from
complications after throat surgery. She was 53.

Ms. Gennoy, whose mother underwent radiation treatment for cancer
while pregnant, was born with multiple disabilities. She was hard of
hearing, did not have forearm bones, was missing some fingers and
toes, and suffered from a variety of ailments including rheumatoid
arthritis. Just 4 feet 6 inches tall, she weighed less than 70 pounds.

But despite her medical struggles, Ms. Gennoy -- who loved roller
coasters and women's music -- had no short supply of vivacity and nerve.

"She just enjoyed life. She never felt sorry for herself," said Dennis
Peron, a fellow activist. "She said, 'This is the body I've been
given, and I'm going to go with it.' "

When she was still a teenager, Ms. Gennoy discovered that marijuana
helped her cope with chronic pain. She was allergic to many pain
medications and believed that marijuana helped her live with dignity.

She went on to become active in the medical marijuana movement,
reliably showing up for scores of rallies -- sometimes in leather,
sometimes in business suits -- and speaking out on television and on
the radio to extol the virtues of marijuana. She helped collect
signatures to get the medical marijuana initiative, Prop. 215, on the
ballot in 1996. She ran for supervisor in 2000 on something of a
medical marijuana ticket.

"She was a very effective warrior for medical cannabis because of her
compelling story and the extent to which safe and legal access to
medical marijuana extended and enhanced her life," said Supervisor
Bevan Dufty. "When you can meld a loving nature with passion, you're
unstoppable."

Technically, Dufty ran against Ms. Gennoy in the 2000 race, but that
didn't stop her from giving him a big kiss every time their paths
crossed. In the end, she encouraged her friends to vote for Dufty. The
Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday was adjourned in her memory.

Ms. Gennoy, who attended San Francisco State between 1979 and 1984,
had a number of other pet issues: wildlife, the environment, disabled
people's rights. She joined the Gray Panthers and was a regular at the
San Francisco gay pride parade. She often rode in the Dykes on Bikes
contingent, waving a marijuana leaf flag from the back of a friend's
motorcycle.

Ms. Gennoy is survived by her mother, Doris Elaine Gilla; her father,
William Gennoy; and a sister, Jane Dietmeyer -- all of Fresno; and an
aunt, Molly Carbone of Oakland.

Ms. Gennoy asked that her ashes be spread in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
A celebration of her life will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at a
private residence at 3745 17th St., San Francisco.