Arizona Plane Crash Kills Developer Sheldon Pollack

Los Angeles developer Sheldon L. Pollack, who designed and built Marina del Rey’s Fisherman’s Village, died in the crash of his private plane in a remote area of southeastern Arizona, a family spokeswoman said Sunday.

Pollack, 62, a pilot for more than 30 years, was flying his twin-engine Cessna on a business trip from Monterey to Las Cruces, N.M., on Tuesday when ground controllers lost contact with the plane, said his daughter, Eileen Pollack Erickson. The wreckage was found at the base of Mt. Graham, 70 miles northeast of Tucson, after a 3-day search.

A Los Angeles native, Pollack founded the Santa Monica-based corporation bearing his name 35 years ago.

In addition to Fisherman’s Village, he designed, developed and built such projects as the 9000 Sunset Building in West Hollywood and San Diego’s SeaPort Village, Erickson said.

Pollack was also a philanthropist, who built most of the Foundation for the Junior Blind’s Camp Bloomfield in the Santa Monica Mountains above Malibu, as well as much of the foundation’s campus in the Windsor Hills area of Los Angeles, his daughter said. He also recently built a gymnasium on the campus in memory of his mother, she added.

Pollack was also active in the Jewish community, providing scholarships for students in Israel and assisting Soviet Jews in immigrating to this country, Erickson said. In addition, he raised funds for Israel bonds and Brentwood’s University Synagogue.

Pollack is survived by his wife, Uta; six children; a stepson, sister, and four grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at University Synagogue, 11960 Sunset Blvd.