A prominent San Francisco arts patron and her husband were mysteriously found dead in a running car on Monday evening, the California Highway Patrol said.
Judith Sheldon, 84, daughter of filmmaker William Wyler, and her husband, Wylie Sheldon, 86, were found inside a red Jeep Compass stopped at the shoulder of Interstate 5 near Redding.
Robert Goodman, Wylie Sheldon, Judy Sheldon and Jeanne Newman attend San Francisco Performances Gala 2025 on October 10, 2025. Devlin Shand for Drew Altizer Photography
Judith Sheldon, 84, daughter of filmmaker William Wyler, and her husband, Wylie Sheldon, 86, were found inside a red Jeep Compass stopped at the shoulder of Interstate 5 near Redding. Photo – Susana Bates for Drew Altizer PhotographyBoth of them were unresponsive and declared dead at the scene despite emergency care from medical personnel, said the Highway Patrol. Judith was in the driver’s seat and Wylie was beside her.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of death, though the San Francisco Chronicle reported it was medically related.
Mt. Shasta in Northern California. Getty ImagesSome have speculated the deaths could have resulted from an extreme heat warning on that day, when temperatures reached above 100 degrees. The Highway Patrol has not stated whether that played a role.
The couple had attended San Francisco arts events in recent years, including San Francisco Performances events in 2016 and 2022. Judith was a co-chair of its 43rd season gala.
She was also board chair of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, which aims to preserve silent cinema, and members in that community said she was tightly woven into the space. She would host welcome parties at her home in the city.
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Director William Wyler, circa 1945. THA/Shutterstock“We are reeling from this news,” Anita Monga, artistic director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, told the Chronicle. “Judy and Wylie were very dear to us, supportive and a positive presence at all our events.”
Sheldon had some screen credits in the 1950s, appearing in several television productions during that time.
Her father won awards for his work on films like “The Best Years Of Our Lives” (1946) and “Wuthering Heights”(1939) and had the most nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director.
