S.F. Film Patrons’ Deaths on I-5 Described as Medically Related Judy Wyler Sheldon, 84, and her husband, Wylie Sheldon, 86, were found dead inside a running sport utility vehicle near Redding, California, on Monday, according to the California Highway Patrol. The agency described the incident as “medically related,” though the exact cause of death and circumstances remain under investigation. The couple, longtime arts patrons and leaders in San Francisco’s film community, were en route to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland when the tragedy occurred. The Sheldons were discovered around 5:46 p.m. Monday on the right shoulder of northbound Interstate 5, north of Fawndale Road. The 2022 Jeep Compass was running when a CHP officer stopped to check on it, but both individuals inside were unresponsive. A second officer arrived, and medical personnel provided aid before the couple was pronounced dead at the scene. The CHP has not yet confirmed whether extreme heat, which reached 109 degrees in the area that day under a National Weather Service extreme heat warning, played a role in their deaths. Judy Wyler Sheldon, the daughter of Oscar-winning filmmaker William Wyler, was a prominent figure in the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. She and Wylie Sheldon, a longtime supporter of the arts, were remembered as generous hosts whose San Francisco home became a hub for visiting archivists, musicians, and film enthusiasts. Anita Monga, artistic director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, expressed deep sorrow, calling the couple “very dear to us” and noting their “supportive and positive presence” at festival events.#california_highway_patrol #san_francisco_silent_film_festival #oregon_shakespeare_festival #william_wyler #anita_monga
