Mattie Posth died by suicide at 4:20 a.m. June 23, when she drove a rental car to the middle of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, left the car door open, and jumped. Her body was found the next day near Crissy Field. She was 51.
Mattie graduated from UC Berkeley and taught philosophy at Northwestern, her friend Jon Sugar said. She moved to the city about 20 years ago and lived in the Haight, where she was well-known and where she began living as a woman.
Perched in public areas, sitting in the sun, her beloved 19-year-old cat Wendall on her lap, reading a book, she chatted with everyone, Sugar said.
Until a year ago she had worked out of her home but that job came to an end and she ran out of money.
Survivors include her friends in the building at 901 Stanyan Street where she lived; her brother Mark Posth, sister Salynn, and mother, all of San Francisco. Sugar and his friends are taking care of Wendall.
A memorial was held July 2. If there's something you'd like to share about Mattie, please comment through Wendall's Facebook page, "Wendall Posth."