Brandon deWilde Tragically Died: What Happened?
The theater and film actor Brandon deWilde tragically died at the tender age of 30 in a traffic accident.
Perhaps best remembered for his award-winning childhood performances in both the Broadway and film adaptations of the Carson McCullers novel The Member of the Wedding. This 20th-century stage and screen actor earned an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in the 1953 film Shane.
He grew up in Brooklyn and Long Island, New York, as the child of Dutch immigrants; his mother, Eugenia Wilson deWilde, also pursued an acting career.
His first marriage, to Susan Maw, resulted in a son named Jesse; his second marriage, to Janice Gero, began in 1972, just three months before his untimely death.
Death
On July 6, 1972, during his time in Colorado for a Denver stage production of Butterflies Are Free at the Elitch Theatre, deWilde tragically lost his life in a traffic accident in the Denver suburb of Lakewood.
Operating a camper van without a seatbelt, he left the roadway and collided with a guardrail and a parked truck. The van rolled onto its side, trapping him in the wreckage.
Despite being rushed to St. Anthony Hospital, he succumbed to multiple injuries, including a broken back, neck, and leg, and passed away at 7:20 p.m. at the age of 30.
Burial
DeWilde was initially laid to rest in Hollywood. However, his parents later decided to transfer his remains to Pinelawn Memorial Park in Farmingdale, New York, bringing him closer to their Long Island home.
