Francesca Applegarth

September 27, 1971 - February 28, 2024

Francesca Applegarth, a beacon of wit and insight to her family and many friends, died peacefully at her home in Kentfield on the night of Wednesday, February 28, following a long battle with Lupus and related neurological diseases that she fought with unwavering courage. She was 52.

Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1971, Francesca grew up in Milan, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. She studied at University High School and Sarah Lawrence College before graduating with honors from the University of California, Berkeley.

Francesca met her future husband, Gregory Maxwell Applegarth, in 1989, when he caught a brief glance of her driving her Volkswagen down Washington Street in San Francisco and chased after her on his motorcycle. They were married in 1995.

Known for her candor, Francesca recalled as a teenager that she had learned in elementary school “not to be shy, and to speak my mind, which is something I have done ever since.” Her wisdom and compassion made her the go-to figure for advice among her family members and countless friends.

She and Max co-founded the popular coffee house Caffe Centro in South Park, San Francisco in 1992. Francesca served on the board of the Swig Company and the UCSF Russell-Engelman Rheumatology Research Foundation and was a founding contributor in the development of the UCSF Brachial Neuritis Center.

Francesca is survived by her husband, Max; her children, Aidan Alexander and Annabelle Grace Applegarth; her mother, Carolyn Zecca Ferris; father, Roberto Zecca; and stepfather, Timothy Ferris; her brothers, Alex Zecca (Fiona) and Patrick Ferris; Michela and Diego Zecca; and Max’s eight siblings and the entire Applegarth family.

Services are to be held at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church in San Francisco Saturday, March 23, at 10:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the UCSF Russell/Engelman Center, the UCSF Brachial Neuritis Center, and Hospice By The Bay.