Sandra West

Sandra Ilene West (January 2, 1939 – March 10, 1977), was a Texas oil heiress and Beverly Hills socialite. Her unusual burial request was that her brother-in-law, Sol West, should bury her in her 1964 powder blue Ferrari 330 America wearing a "lacy nightgown" in a seat reclined at a "comfortable" angle.[1]

Will and burial

West (known by her middle name of Ilene) was married to Ike West Jr. (1934–1968), who predeceased her by nine years. She died in Los Angeles, California, leaving an estate of approximately $3 million. The cause of death was an overdose of prescription medications.[2] West's handwritten will was executed in California, her legal residence. The will provided that Sol West (brother of her late husband) would receive $2,000,000 if her wishes were carried out; if not, he would get $10,000.[3]

After going to court to try to get out of it, which required a two-month temporary burial, Sol West complied with West's burial request. The car and West were encased in a box measuring 10 feet (3.0 m) wide by 9 feet (2.7 m) deep by 19 feet (5.8 m) long, which was hauled to the grave site at the Alamo Masonic Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas on a flatbed truck and interred in a hole nine feet deep; after burial, a redi-mix truck encased the box in concrete.[4] The simple grave marker does not give a clue to what is underneath.

Husband and wife are buried side by side in Section 1-2 of the cemetery.[5][6]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/08/31/bizarre.will.stipulations/index.html
  2. ↑ Salinas, Rebecca (11 March 2017). "On this day in 1977, socialite Sandra West was buried in her Ferrari in San Antonio". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  3. ↑ http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2009/feb/02/out-yonder-book-brings-death-lore-to-life/
  4. ↑ http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=West&GSfn=Sandra&GSbyrel=in&GSdy=1977&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=14005057&
  5. ↑ http://www.angelfire.com/folk/alamo_masonic_cem/
  6. ↑ "The Strange Story of Mrs. West", May 2, 2006
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