Rick Harold Sapp, Ph.D.

Rick was born Apr. 25,1947 in Sedro-Woolley, WA. to Alma and Verne Sapp. He graduated from Sedro-Woolley High School in 1965, went on to Stanford University receiving a BA in Political Science in 1969. He served in the Peace Corps in the foothills of the Andes in Chile for 2 ¢ years. When he returned to the U.S., Rick attended the University of Oregon in Eugene and earned a M.A. in Political Science, He then spent a year in Paris and motorbiking around France.

Returning to the San Francisco Bay area, Rick was drawn to aiding mentally challenged individuals by supervising and living with residents in a group home. This led to what became his lifelong career in mental health services. He received a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. Rick provided mental health services to patients at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Rafael, CA, for 27 years, during most of the time as Chief Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry.

Rick and Cynthia (Wheelhouse) Gottlieb moved to San Rafael, CA, where they were married in their backyard in Terra Linda on May 15, 1999. They both were born and raised the United Methodist Church and were members in Marin County. They were married by their Methodist minister.

Rick’s love of gardening and being a good steward of the earth was developed as a child, growing up on the family farm near Sedro-Woolley, WA, which his brother Terry still farms. Even after leaving for college and other travels, he would return to the farm at least yearly. He and Cindy enjoyed their fun and work-filled summer camping trips at the farm until the COVID pandemic put an end to travel. This would include their annual trips to visit Cindy’s family at Cheney’s Point on the shores of Chautauqua Lake. Closer to home, Rick and Cindy planted, tended, harvested, froze, canned, pickled, and dried the bounty of their “Garden of Eatin’ ” – vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. They also shared the love of classical music and were proud supporters of the Marin Symphony.

Rick was preceded in death by his parents Alma and Verne Sapp, Auntie Margaret and Uncle Harold Weed, and nephew Jeremy Kinnear. He is survived by his wife Cynthia, brother Terry Sapp (Jeanie Eagleston), niece Karly Sapp Palzkill (Matt), nephew Chandler Sapp, grandnephew Charlie Palzkill, sister-in-law Lynn Kinnear (Joe Bellian), brother-in-law Robert Wheelhouse, Jr. (Jane), nieces Kathryn Wheelhouse, Melissa Thompson (Brian), nephew Jonathan Wheelhouse (Dyan), great-nephew Jaden Kinnear, and great-nieces Aubree Thompson and Amira Wheelhouse.

Rick hoped to be remembered as a kind, gentle, loving, and generous man.

A memorial service is pending. In lieu of flowers, please make gifts in memory of Rick to the Marin Symphony in San Rafael, CA, or to the Jeremy Wright Kinnear Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation in Jamestown, NY. Send messages with thoughts and memories of Rick to Cindy (cegottlieb@hotmail.com} which will be shared with family and friends.