After nearly three decades of stopping traffic and keeping school children safe, a beloved San Francisco crossing guard is hanging up his stop sign.
Clifton Despaine retired this week after 27 years of service at the intersection of 16th and Sanchez streets. The milestone brought an emotional farewell from the generations of neighborhood families he protected.
Despaine said the deep connections he forged with the community kept him returning to the busy intersection day after day.
“I even have kids that I crossed their parents,” Despaine said. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve met a lot of good people, parents and neighbors. They kept me coming. The kids, for the most part, were my biggest enthusiasm for coming out here every day.”
Despaine decided it is finally time to retire so he can spend more time with his own family.