Sarah Knapp of San Diego, California, is being remembered after her death, with tributes highlighting a life devoted to grief support, community work, music and helping people navigate loss.
Knapp was known in the San Diego community as a somatic experiencing practitioner, grief worker, ceremonialist and singer. She founded the San Diego Death Cafe and Grief Circle and facilitated grief circles and yoga-for-grief programs. Her work centered on helping people understand and move through difficult experiences of loss.
She was also involved in music and community-building. Knapp co-founded the San Diego chapter of the Resistance Revival Chorus and worked with young people through the Raising Voices Children’s Choir. Her professional work combined singing, songwriting, somatic practices and grief support.
Sarah Knapp Cause of Death
Reports circulating online state that Knapp died after setting herself on fire on a San Diego beach and that the medical examiner later determined the death was a suicide. These details are appearing in social-media posts, but I have not located an accessible official San Diego County Medical Examiner record confirming those specific circumstances.
Because of the sensitive nature of the circumstances, the cause and manner of death should be attributed to the medical examiner rather than presented beyond what has been officially documented.
Remembering Sarah Knapp
Knapp’s life was deeply connected to grief work. She first became involved in end-of-life care while caring for her father during his battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She later facilitated a traditional vigil and home funeral for him when he died in 2021.
Her work eventually expanded into grief circles, end-of-life support, somatic practices, music and community gatherings. A tribute shared by members of her community invited people to gather in her honor, describing her as someone who had made a lasting impact on those around her.
Sarah Knapp will be remembered for the compassionate work she carried out in San Diego and for creating spaces where people could openly confront grief, loss and healing. Her death has left friends, colleagues and members of the communities she served mourning a significant loss.