David Bernard Knapp died last month on an unconfirmed date in Dillon, Colo. of heart failure, according to a March 31 autopsy. He was 49 years old.
Knapp’s body was discovered by Sheriff’s deputies an estimated 20 days after he died in his Colorado condominium, after his mother had called and asked them to perform a welfare check, sensing that something was wrong.
Born Dec. 9, 1968 in Pasadena, Calif. Knapp was adopted by his parents, Joan and John Knapp, when he was 10 weeks old.
Knapp attended Cardin, Webster Elementary, Malibu Junior High and Santa Monica High schools before graduating from UC Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He spent his winters skiing and doing seasonal work in Colorado but returned to Malibu to surf during the summers.
Knapp is survived by his younger brother, Steven Knapp, of South Lake Tahoe and by his mother, Joan, of Malibu.
A “paddle out” memorial service attended by Knapp’s friends and family is scheduled to take place Saturday at Zeros Beach at 2 p.m., followed by a celebration of his life at his mother’s house at 4 p.m.