A well-known San Francisco arts patron and the daughter of Oscar-winning director William Wyler was found dead with her husband inside a running SUV parked along a California interstate, authorities said.
Judith “Judy” Wyler Sheldon, 84, and her husband, Wylie Sheldon, 86, were discovered unresponsive Monday in their vehicle on Interstate 5 near Redding. Investigators have not yet announced a cause of death and are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the case.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the couple was found at about 5:46 p.m. on June 15 after an officer spotted a Jeep Compass stopped on the shoulder of northbound I-5, just north of Fawndale Road.
Officials said Judy Sheldon was in the driver’s seat and Wylie Sheldon was in the front passenger seat when they were located.
A second CHP officer responded to the scene, and emergency medical personnel attempted life-saving measures. Both Judy and Wylie Sheldon were pronounced dead at the scene despite those efforts.
A second CHP officer was called to assist, and emergency medical personnel attempted life-saving measures. Despite those efforts, both Judy and Wylie Sheldon were declared dead at the scene.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain unclear.
Investigators have not publicly disclosed any indication of foul play, medical emergency, or other factors that may have contributed to the tragedy.
Judy Sheldon and Wiley Sheldon were discovered unresponsive in a 2022 Jeep Compass parked on the shoulder of northbound Interstate 5 on June 15. The pair are pictured in 2019
Judy Wyler Sheldon, 84, daughter of Oscar-winning director William Wyler, was found dead inside a running SUV near Redding, California. She is pictured here in her youth
The couple were discovered on a remote stretch of Interstate 5, one of California’s busiest transportation corridors. Pictured a view of Mt. Shasta in Northern California
The California Highway Patrol’s Northern Division Investigative Services Unit has now taken over the case and is working to determine exactly what happened inside the vehicle.
The deaths occurred during a period of extreme heat in Northern California.
The National Weather Service had issued an extreme heat warning for the Redding area, where temperatures climbed to around 109 degrees on the day the couple were found.
Investigators have not said whether weather conditions played any role.
The deaths stunned members of California’s arts and film communities, where Judy Sheldon had long been a respected figure.
‘We are reeling from this news,’ Anita Monga, artistic director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, said in a statement. ‘Judy and Wylie were very dear to us, supportive and a positive presence at all our events.’
For many in San Francisco’s cultural circles, the Sheldons were known as much for their hospitality as their philanthropy. Their home frequently served as a gathering place for visiting film archivists, musicians and cinema enthusiasts attending festival events.
Judy Sheldon spent decades championing silent-film preservation and played a central role in the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. After serving as president of the organization’s board, she later became its longtime chair.
‘I used to joke with her that she was our Frank Sinatra – Chairman of the Board,’ Monga recalled.
Monga said the Sheldons regularly opened their home to festival guests and supporters.
‘Judy would allow, actually encourage, our visiting film archivists and musicians to pose for pictures with her father William Wyler’s Oscars,’ she said. ‘The perfect hosts.’
The loss was still difficult to process, Monga added.
‘I’m sorry to not be more articulate; this loss is so devastating.’
William Wyler, Judy Sheldon’s father, directed Hollywood classics including Roman Holiday, Ben-Hur, Mrs. Miniver and The Best Years of Our Lives, winning three Academy Awards
William Wyler was one of the most acclaimed directors in Hollywood history, winning three Academy Awards for Best Director during a career that spanned more than four decades
Stacey Wisnia, executive director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, said Sheldon was a familiar face at virtually every event she could remember over more than two decades.
‘Completely unassuming, she could always be found in the theater lobby engaged in lively conversations with festival musicians, special guests, and audience members,’ Wisnia said.
She added that she would miss Sheldon’s ‘warmth, curiosity, and charming stories about her travel adventures and her father, the great director William Wyler.’
‘She was a San Francisco treasure,’ Wisnia said.
Born Judith Wyler in Los Angeles, she spent much of her life preserving and celebrating cinema history.
Although she briefly appeared on screen during the 1950s, earning credits in productions including The Errol Flynn Theatre, The Buccaneers and BBC Sunday-Night Theatre, her lasting legacy came through her work behind the scenes as an advocate for film preservation.
She became especially devoted to protecting silent-film history and played a major role in promoting awareness of early cinema.
The San Francisco Silent Film Festival lists her as chair of its board, reflecting years of involvement with the organization.
In a 2007 interview, Sheldon explained that her passion for the festival grew after she attended a retrospective dedicated to her father’s silent-era films in Pordenone, Italy.
The experience helped deepen her commitment to preserving a vital chapter of film history.
Film director William Wyler is seen talking to a cast member on the set of his western ‘The Big Country’ in 1957. Wyler died in 1981 at the age of 79
American actress and singer Barbra Streisand on the set of the movie Funny Girl with director William Wyler in 1968
Her influence extended well beyond the world of silent cinema. She also served in leadership roles supporting San Francisco’s cultural institutions and was listed as a co-chair for a gala hosted by San Francisco Performances during its 43rd season.
The loss carries an added historical resonance because of her family’s place in Hollywood history.
Her father, William Wyler, remains one of the most acclaimed directors ever to work in American film.
Across a legendary career, he directed classics including Roman Holiday, Ben-Hur,
The Best Years of Our Lives, Mrs. Miniver and Wuthering Heights.
He won three Academy Awards for Best Director, a feat achieved by only a handful of filmmakers.
