Remembering Lincoln Sabini: “A Golden Spark”

A golden spark in this world. The kind of student who inspires a person to teach. Curious, enthusiastic, compassionate. And, someone who had a – shall we say unique? – taste in fashion.

That’s just a few ways people have described Lincoln Wells Sabini. He died after a collision with a car while he was riding his bicycle on Monday, April 13, on Hutchison Road just east of the UC Davis main campus. The accident remains under investigation.

Sabini was a second-year student majoring in sustainable agriculture and food systems, based in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources. He also participated in a range of sports and was on the UC Davis triathlon team – an event that combines running, swimming and bicycling. Social and engaged, Sabini still had time and energy to excel in his classes and take on extra jobs.

This is a profound loss for our department and the university.” – William R. Horwath, chair, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources

His death, wrote teammate Arezoo Ghasemzadeh, is a reminder that life is precious.

“Losing Lincoln was the first time I truly began to understand how fragile life is; how, in the next second, someone close to you can simply be gone,” Ghasemzadeh wrote. Sabini’s death “serves as a reminder to value those close to us every single moment and to live in the present, knowing that any moment could be the last time we speak to the people we love.”

Sabini also was active at the UC Davis Student Farm. There, friends gathered on Saturday, May 16, for an informal ceremony to plant a tree in his honor. (See more about the ceremony below.)

“His entire SAFS and Student Farm community will dearly miss him,” wrote Majdi Abou Najm, who coordinates the major in LAWR.

We invited those who knew Lincoln Sabini to share their thoughts and memories.

Kaya Kurtz: He made people feel seen

Kaya Kurtz knew Sabini through several social networks and extracurricular activities, including the UC Davis triathlon team.

“Lincoln was incredibly involved and definitely left an impact on everyone he interacted with. He was one of those people who made an effort to have people feel seen and remembered. He had so much curiosity and enthusiasm through all the things he did.”

“Students like him are the reason I show up for work every day.” – Jennifer Funk, professor, UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences

Gianna Gazulla: Recipes and “eccentric outfits”

Fellow student Gianna Gazulla met Sabini in fall 2024 in a food systems class during her first quarter at UC Davis. They often talked about their shared love of food and cooking, recipes, nutrition, medicinal herbs and other cool plants. “I was jealous,” Gazulla wrote, because Sabini would describe delicious dishes he conjured up at home, while she lived in the dorms. The friendship continued with an integrated pest management class that included monitoring bugs at the Student Farm.

“I especially recall his eccentric outfits,” Gazulla wrote. “I remember him walking into class one day wearing jorts over jeans paired with denim clogs, and I just knew that I wanted to be his friend. 

“Lincoln was incredibly easy-going, kind, confident and interesting to talk to. Lincoln was very intelligent as well, and I remember that he would ask really good questions in class that would make me think ‘I should have thought to ask that!’

“In our first year at Davis, Lincoln and his buddy Logan organized weekly evening bike rides around campus. I remember biking through the Arboretum when the leaves on the trees started changing colors, thinking how lucky I was to share such cool experiences with such a cool group of people.”

Arezoo Ghasemzadeh: “He recognized that I wanted to feel included”

Student Arezoo Ghasemzadeh is a statistics major who knew Sabini through the triathlon team>

“Some people have what I think of as an invisible gold sparkle, a kind of pure kindness and passion for life and for others. Lincoln had that. While I wasn’t the closest to him, from my limited encounters, I could clearly tell what a kind, genuine and loving person he was.

“The first time I met him was in the pool, when we had both stayed after practice. He taught me how to swim the 6-1-6 drill. Even though he had to rush to his next commitment, he stayed to make sure I had learned it.

“The second time was at our triathlon Friendsgiving. I was feeling left out and out of place, and he, along with two of his friends, pulled me out of my comfort zone to play cards with them, recognizing that I wanted to feel included.”

Julie Lopez: “Talks and laughs”

Student Julie Lopez worked with Sabini at the UC Davis Activities and Recreation Center, where he was a swim instructor.

“As co-workers at the pool, I'm happy our paths crossed. His passion for swimming was reflected in the work he did during his lessons at the pool, whether it was swinging his arms to demonstrate proper technique or always willing to offer advice to other instructors about swimming; he just wanted people to share that with him.

“Lincoln brought a welcoming energy and kindness to the community, which is still feeling his absence and missing him deeply… I’ll miss our talks and laughs on the pool deck, and I bring his memory with me every time I teach a lesson.”

Anca Barcu: Curious to understand plants

Anca Barcu was a graduate student researcher in the lab of Jennifer Funk, in the Department of Plant Sciences, and supervised Sabini as a teaching assistant there. She stayed in touch with the young man and helped him write his resumé.

“Lincoln was an enthusiastic, conscientious, hard-working, diligent student with an amazing work ethic. He seemed so determined, energized and motivated that I was sure he would be wildly successful upon graduating. He was very interested in plant sciences, curious to understand processes and optimize flows. Beyond work and school, he was a wonderful, caring friend, very humble, full of energy, funny and always communicating perfectly. 

“I remember one time I was able to help him right before Christmas last year, and he was so incredibly grateful! It really moved me how he responded, and I'm so incredibly sad I won't be able to help him with work, knowledge transfer, plants or anything else ever again.”

Lacole Brooks: “Our sweet Lincoln”

Lacole Brooks is the staff advisor in LAWR and met with Lincoln several times for academic advising.

“He was just a sweet, warm, happy guy with an easy-going personality and a great energy about him. I enjoyed meeting with him and hearing how he was enjoying his classes. He always entered my office with a smile and left with a smile.”

Ian Grettenberger: “Quiet grit”

Ian Grettenberger is an associate professor of Cooperative Extension, based in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.

“Lincoln brought an energy to our lab that is difficult to put into words. He approached research and work with genuine curiosity and excitement, but also determination and quiet grit. He had a way of making moments brighter for everyone around him, whether it be during long days in the field lugging broccoli plants across a field or long hours in the lab disassembling cauliflower heads to look for caterpillars; he lifted everybody up. He had an infectious, positive energy that he brought with him every day.

“He was the type of student you instinctively knew would go on to do meaningful things, someone capable of making a lasting impact, not only through his accomplishments and work ethic, but also through the kindness and energy he carried with him daily.

“You could sense his strong internal motor that was driving him academically and professionally that also made him forge connections with people and build community. I am grateful for what he brought to our lab and the indelible mark he left on us. I have been truly humbled learning about the lasting connections he had built wherever he went, creating an extraordinary web of relationships throughout the university and Davis.”

Leslie Roche: “A rising star”

Leslie Roche is a professor of Cooperative Extension in the Department of Plant Sciences.

“Lincoln had just started working with my lab group in early April, so I had not known him for very long, but he stood out as a rising star. He was clearly a thoughtful, enthusiastic student and a genuinely kind person – the kind of student we are always grateful to welcome.”

Jennifer Funk: He aimed to “help the world”

Jennifer Funk is a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences. Sabini conducted research alongside graduate students and staff in her lab.

“Lincoln is the type of student that made me want to become a university professor – that level of curiosity, dedication to doing the work, making the connections. That’s the type of student that I want to go the extra mile for and engage with.

“As a sustainable ag major, it became very clear when we did meet and talked about his career that Lincoln genuinely wanted to help people and help the world. He was poised to do great things.

“Students like him are the reason I show up for work every day.”

Colin Dixon: Valley oak planted in Sabini’s honor 

On Saturday, May 16, Sabini’s family and friends gathered at the UC Davis Student Farm to plant a tree in his honor. The tree is a valley oak – a native tree chosen to reflect some of Sabini’s values and the personal qualities colleagues at the farm saw in him, said Colin Dixon, farm director.

“He loved the landscape of the Sacramento region and held in wonder and awe the beauty and resilience of valley oaks and other native plants,” Dixon wrote. “On the farm, he was a regular intern during summer session last year… (His resilience and determination were) clear in his hard work on hot summer days and his ability to show up and jump into work and learning.

“Like the valley oak, and its acorns as a fundamental food of the region for many animals as well as for people, Lincoln was generous. He loved sharing food and joining in community meals. He worked in our food justice program, going above and beyond to help distribute produce he had a hand in growing. He invited anyone arriving to the farm, including the Dean when she visited last summer, to try melon or tomatoes.

“Lincoln's friends and family also talked about how, above all, he was a community builder. He loved being social and bringing people together. The valley oak also felt important in this regard, as a keystone species that supports thousands of other species.”

William R. Horwath: “A Profound Loss”

Will Horwath is chair of the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, which is the home of Sabini’s undergraduate major, sustainable agriculture and food systems.

“Lincoln was a dedicated student, pursuing his dream of helping others through building vibrant communities centered on sustainable agriculture. He was a valued member of our student community. We are deeply saddened by the news of his death. This is a profound loss for our department and the university. Our thoughts are with Lincoln’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.”

Resources

Students in need of immediate mental health support can call Student Health and Counseling Services at 530-752-0871. Faculty and staff can reach out to the Academic and Staff Assistance Program, which serves the Davis and Sacramento campuses.

The Department of Plant Sciences offers sincere condolences to everyone affected by Lincoln Sabini's untimely death.