Lola McKay, who died at age 83 last month, got her final wish: she died in her home of over 40 years. But her personal struggle to stave off eviction cost her. Under terms of a settlement, she had to move by August or she would be dragged out by the Sheriff—a Sheriff who enforces the laws which say its okay to evict a senior so that a real estate broker can make huge profits. The eviction fight and pending move drained her and Lola, whose health was generally okay, passed away in her sleep. She probably died years earlier than she would have had it not been for the eviction and there’s a lot of grumbling that the landlord—John Hickey Brokerage—will actually profit off her death rather than being punished for it.

The Hickey real estate company evicted Lola under the Ellis Act so they could convert her apartment, and 3 others in the building, into condos. Hickey planned to use loopholes to bypass the condo law and stood to make a profit of nearly $1 million ($250,000 per unit) off the conversion. Hickey had already emptied 3 of the 4 units. He could have sold those three units, made $750,000 and let Lola have a lifetime lease. A reasonable person would be overjoyed with the prospect of making $750,000 in one year and would be more than happy to let Lola live out her life in peace—knowing that eventually another $250,000 in profit would come from her unit. But Hickey’s greed was insatiable. He wanted all the money now.

Lola’s fight against her eviction led her to become a symbol of the fight against gentrification. The eviction was so blatantly motivated by greed that the Mission community took to the streets to fight it. Demonstrations were held in the Mission, at the Courthouse and at one demonstration almost a dozen protesters were arrested—people who were willing to go to jail to stop the eviction. Many tenants balk at talking on their landlords or the real estate industry but not Lola. For her, the issue was simple: "I’ve lived here 40 years; this is my home," she often said. "They can’t evict me—where would I go"?"

One of the saddest parts of Lola’s struggle and her death is that the story of Lola McKay happens unnoticed every day all over the city. As San Francisco gentrifies and apartments get turned into condos, hundreds of seniors are evicted from their longtime homes each year. Most don’t receive all the attention that Lola’s case received. Life ends soon for most of these seniors as once healthy and vibrant people are torn from their homes, their neighbors, their friends and communities. Forced into nursing homes or senior homes far outside of the city, few survive for more than a few months.

Lola became the representative for all these seniors and her spirited fight against a greedy landlord inspired the community. Her death should now re-inspire the community to fight even harder the forces of greed and gentrification—forces which killed Lola and which will eventually kill the Mission.