A longtime UC administrator died Monday morning. Former Vice Chancellor David Sheldon passed away at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, a few months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Sheldon served as vice chancellor for Administrative Services at UCSB from 1988 until his retirement in 2001. Prior to joining UCSB, he spent 22 years at UC Irvine.

In a statement, Chancellor Henry Yang said, “David was an outstanding leader; his work and his relations with people were characterized by integrity and humanity. He helped make UCSB a better place, and the results of his hard work and dedication – during a period of extraordinary growth and development for our campus – continue to be felt.”

As vice chancellor Sheldon oversaw various departments, including Business Services, Facilities Management, Computing, Accounting, Staff Personnel, Public Safety and Environmental Health and Safety.

Former colleague Everett Kirkelie remembered Sheldon as “an absolutely wonderful person.”

“He approached work with compassion and tolerance,” said Kirkelie, associate vice chancellor of Administrative and Auxiliary Services. “He did great things for this campus and impressed a lot of people with the warmth and sincerity of his personal style.”

Sheldon, who died sometime before noon Monday, was admitted to the hospital last week. He was accompanied there by his wife Beverly and daughter Stacey.

Beverly Sheldon served as associate director of UCSB’s Office of Relations with Schools from 1998 to 2001.

“David and Beverly both loved this campus,” Yang said in the statement. “Before their retirement and after, they worked behind the scenes in countless ways, quietly giving of themselves to help others.”