Once his stage, meadow now honors Robin Williams

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department gave its blessing to rename a meadow at Golden Gate Park after the beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams, who died in 2014 at his home in Tiburon.

The Robin Williams Meadow, which is adjacent to the Sharon Building at Golden Gate Park, will host the 37th annual Comedy Day event on Sept. 17. Williams had performed at the free event.

Debi Durst, producer and president of Comedy Day, said in a statement that Williams would come to the show if he was in The City:

“It was always magical whenever he appeared during Comedy Day; you could feel the excitement and the electricity coming from the audience as Robin danced upon the stage, wowing the hometown crowd with his hilarious antics.”

Mayor Ed Lee said in a statement:

“Robin was one of San Francisco’s cherished sons, whose selfless acts of philanthropy benefitted communities across our city. We will forever remember him fondly and the Robin Williams Meadow will be a lasting testament to his legacy.”

Phil Ginsburg, Rec and Park’s general manager, said it was fitting to name the meadow after Williams where Comedy Day is now held:

“Robin Williams was known for his humor and kindness and like Comedy Day, he was about making people laugh – no matter who they are.”

The Academy Award winner so no stranger to the Bay Area. Not only did he live in the Bay Area, some of his more prominent films have shot in The City, including Mrs. Doubtfire.

After hearing about his death, fans flocked to the Steiner Street house, which played the backdrop of the movie, to pay tribute to the actor with flowers and cards.

The state legislature in 2015 approved naming a tunnel that connected the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County in honor of Williams. The tunnel has a rainbow arch, which was a reminder to fans of his character of Mork from “Mork and Mindy,” where Williams wore rainbow suspenders.

Williams died at the age of 63 by suicide.

Jerold Chinn

Jerold serves as a reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief for SFBay covering transportation and occasionally City Hall and the Mayor's Office in San Francisco. His work on transportation has been recognized by the San Francisco Press Club. Born and raised in San Francisco, he graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. Jerold previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization. When not reporting, you can find Jerold taking Muni to check out new places to eat in the city.