The man at the center of a landmark right-to-die case that reached the California Supreme Court died in a Lodi hospital Tuesday night. 'It's A Blessing' Robert Wendland died at Lodi Memorial Hospital at 2:45 p.m., eight years after being paralyzed and virtually unable to communicate due to severe brain damage. He was 49. Wendland -- who died of pneumonia -- had been kept alive by a feeding tube, which his wife wanted to remove so he could die. Wendland's mother fought to keep her son alive. "It's her son. She's distraught," Wendland's mother's attorney, Janie Siess, said. Neither Wendland's wife or his mother talked to reporters. It is unclear if the court will still rule on the case, which was expected to be settled in just weeks.