January 4, 1937 — May 8, 2019
We sadly announce the passing of Jesse Clifton Albergotti, Jr. He died peacefully on May 8, 2019, at home in San Francisco, surrounded by friends and his loving spouse, Lucky Choi. He was 82.
Born in Columbia, SC, Jesse was the only child of Jessie Clifton Albergotti, (Sr.) and Cecil Martha Bofill. He is a descendant of one of two Italian families that joined the migration to colonize America in 1732. Back in Italy, the Abergottis had been a noble family in Arezzo and Florence since the 10th century. As did his ancestors, Jesse excelled in his studies and graduated with a doctorate in physics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At age 25, he started his career as Professor of Nuclear Physics at Davison College, NC while conducting scientific research at the U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory.
Two years later, in 1964, Jesse came out to California to accept a teaching position at the University of San Francisco and an opportunity to research at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. It was then when he chose to use his middle name, Clifton. During his tenure, Cliff dedicated himself to raise and maintain the reputation and standards of USF’s science department. He introduced novel pedagogic methods that utilized the newly emerging field of micro-computers in laboratory experiments and classroom demonstrations. In addition to implementing a state-of-the-art learning environment, Cliff was soon teacahing his new approach to other Bay Area science professors.
In addition to science majors, Cliff also taught students from the university’s Humanities Honors Program to which he delivered a series of illuminating lectures on the intersection between science and the humanities. The success of these lectures brought him an invitation to also teach at the S.F. Academy of Art. Later, those course notes reappeared in book format , entitled "Mighty is the charm: Lectures on science, literature, and the arts" [University Press of America, 1982]. This inspired work offers a glimpse into Cliff’s brilliant mind while serving as a testament to his passion for the arts.
Despite being the first openly gay professor in a Jesuit institution, Cliff was well respected throughout his 35-year career. After co-founding the USF Faculty Association and served as its first vice-president. He was elected to represent the USF faculty in the American Association of University Professors, and he chaired the physics department until he retired in 1999 with honors as professor emeritus.
Cliff was also an accomplished fine art photographer. A former student of Ansel Adams, he mastered both film and digital photography, forging a unique style within the genres of sacred art, male eroticism, and imaginary landscapes. Inspired by his work in quantum physics, he felt that there was a “truer” reality than what we see in the logical world. By exploiting the techniques of photomontage and night photography, Cliff blurred the distinction between imagination and reality. He was known for his breath-taking panoramas, dramatic eecenes taken at night, and the seamless appearance in these multi-image composites. His subjects, not always beautiful, or pleasant, and often edging towards being profane and upsetting, serve as a catalyst for the viewer to discover one’s own “true” reality — somewhere betweeen here and the realm of dreams.
“I invite the viewer to share my journey and to explore my visual creations where not only questions abound, but also the possibility of rejuvenating an awareness of one’s truer and purer self.”
Cliff’s photographic art has been featured in galleries, museums, and publications across the nation. A selection of his work can be viewed at www.albergottiphoto.com.
Cliff was, in many ways, a bon vivant — a connoisseur of fine art, contemporary design, classical music, literature, and fine food and wine. With impeccable taste, Cliff collected home furnishings by mid-century and contemporary designers, dressed himself in Italian fashions, and was quite the audiophile. He frequented galleries, museums, concert halls, opera houses, and theaters both locally and around the world. As an adventurous listener, he sought out opportunities to discover contemporary “Classical” music, he loved the operas of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, but he adored the intimacy of leider. In the last decade of his life, he indulged himself in listening to lieder performed frequently at home.
An excellent sailor, Cliff owned a 39-foot Pearson sailboat, the Ariadne, on which he traveled the coasts of California and Baja, Mexico when he wasn’t boat racing in the Bay. As a world traveler to five continents, he was fascinated by people, their cultures, and histories. Cliff loved to entertain. He relished the company of his friends and the richness of their cultural diversity.
Growing up in South Carolina, Cliff recognized the injustice of racism and the implications of class at a young age. He supported equality in human and civil rights as a value worth striving towards. As a member of the gay community, Cliff made contributions ranging from serving on the board of the Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights Foundation, and co-chairing a conference on “Aging and Sexuality for Gay Men.” For several years, he also provided one-on-one emotional and practical peer support through Shanti for those terminally ill with AIDS.
In 1999, he met composer/pianist Lucky Choi. After 15 years, they married, sanctifying their relationship that lasted for 20 years. In 2008, the couple discovered in Trinity Episcopal Church a way to reconnect with God and a community of people they admired. Soon after his confirmation, Cliff served as Senior Warden of church’s vestry. His friendships with former Archbishop of Cantebury Robert Runcie and with Bishop Otis Charles (the first Episcopal bishop ever to come out as being gay) seemed appropriate and auspicious given the numerous Italian bishops, a cardinal, an archbishop and several monks in his bloodline.
Around 2009, Cliff was diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson’s Disease. Although it was initially well-managed, an unfortunate accidental fall in 2014 left him incapacitated with a traumatic brain injury that accelerated his Parkinson’s. For the next four years and despite the many challenges, Cliff’s resilience and courage were astounding and exemplary.
During his final days, being home in a peaceful and loving environment was what he wanted most. And so it was, with soft choral music sounding like welcoming angels, that our dear Cliff gently left us with dignity, comfort, and grace. As heroes were decorated in ancient times, we covered him with a blanket of flowers in farewell.
Cliff was a modern-day Renaissance man. With compassion and intellect, he studied and valued the interconnectedness of all things, ideas, and people. He was a man of the utmost integrity — open, conscientious, and inclusive, with modest but self-assured pride. A true gentleman – he was a kind, considerate, and sensitive soul. How he lived was an example of which his family and ancestors could be proud. Earnest and sincere, Cliff embraced adventure, creativity, and discovery. He knew when to live dangerously and how to live elegantly. Sharing this passion with others was Cliff’s greatest joy, and the memories he left us are his most precious legacy. We shall always miss him dearly.
Cliff is predeceased by his step-siblings, William Coy Fulton, James Raymond Fulton, and Anne Louise Fulton. Donations in Cliff’s memory may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Please visit www.CliftonAlbergotti.memorial for more info and photos of Cliff.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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