Samuel Price Knecht

Samuel Price Knecht, “Sam,” age 38 of Playa del Rey, California, passed away suddenly on May 6, 2026. He was born in Colorado on January 12, 1986 and raised by his loving parents, Luke and Jeanne (née Frawley) Knecht alongside his brother, Alex Knecht. He was raised in Lake Forest, Illinois and Hillsborough, California and graduated from Lake Forest High School in 2006. In 2010, Sam received a B.S. in Communications from the University of Miami. He attended law school at Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and received his J.D. in 2016. After law school, he returned to Los Angeles and practiced labor and employment law for nine years.

In 2020, he married his sweetheart, Jasmine Badawi, at St Mercurius & St Abraam in Torrance, California and was welcomed into the loving Badawi family.

Beyond his professional life, Sam was known by his family and friends as an avid animal lover, especially when it came to dogs. It was not uncommon for him to first greet your dog with belly rubs and hugs on the ground before standing back up to greet you, too. He and Jasmine have a Maltipoo named Wilfy, who they both cherish.

He was the fun “Uncle Sam” to his niece and nephews because he shared their playful and youthful energy, would give piggybacks and enter into their imaginary world of make believe. He was known for his quick and smart wit, as he had a great gift for dry comedy because he always noticed details and had a humorous spin on everything. He loved to play chess and beat those who were many years his elder in extremely entertaining ways. He enjoyed electronic dance music and attending music festivals with his friends. He also loved to be at the beach whenever possible.

Sam is survived by his wife, Jasmine Badawi of Lawndale, California, his parents Luke and Jeanne Knecht of Apison, Tennessee, his brother Alex (Courtney “Katie”) Knecht of Apison, Tennessee, nephews and niece, aunts and uncles including Mark (Joan) Knecht of Syracuse, Indiana Matthew (Barbara) Knecht of Cleveland, Ohio, Catherine Knecht of Nevada City, California, Elizabeth “Betsy” Haggerty of New York, New York, and cousins Carrie (Justin) Augustine of Sacramento, California Jay (Idalia) Knecht of Oakland, California, William (Shannon) Knecht of Brooklyn, New York, Richard Knecht of Arlington, Virginia, and Kate Haggerty of New York, New York and many friends spread all around the country. Sam is preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Jack and Betty Frawley of Lakeland, Florida, and his paternal grandparents, John and Marjorie Knecht of Manchester, Indiana.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, May 29th, 2026 at 11am at the St Mercurius & St Abraam Coptic Orthodox Church, located at 3645 Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA 90503, with an onsite reception to immediately follow with food and drink.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Sam’s memory to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals here: https://secure.aspca.org/donate/memorial