Sally Menke (above, far left), who’s cut every film of writer-director Quentin Tarantino’s, was found dead Tuesday morning in Bronson Canyon in Los Angeles. She was 56.

According to the L.A. Times she’d gone hiking with her dog midst 90°-plus weather Monday (her canine was found living), and after friends reported not seeing Menke since called Los Angeles police to investigate. As of this writing, no further reason of decease had been noted. Menke, who edited everything from Tarantino giants such as Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs to the littler works like Death Proof and a segment of Four Rooms, had also been nominated for two Oscars: once in 1995 for Fiction and just earlier this year for Inglourious Basterds.

It’s a shame Menke passed away, first off, and to lose such a gifted technician is like adding insult to injury. Tarantino has been known for the crafted scene-splicing on his projects (I personally remember the bar scene in Basterds as being one of the best), and to have formed a relationship such as theirs strived from the very beginning of both of their respected careers. There’s no arguing the tone their collaborations went for rested heavily on a certain style of slick cell-cutting. Rest in peace, indeed.

Here’s a cool tribute to Menke and her work from the Death Proof DVD bonus features with additional commentary from Quentin Tarantino (via Slash Film). Be warned fans: especially those who love Tarantino, their friendships hits surprisingly hard.