San Francisco socialites found dead on side of Interstate 5

The San Francisco arts community is mourning the loss of Judith and Wylie Sheldon, longtime patrons of film and performances in the city. On Monday evening, a California Highway Patrol officer discovered the couple’s bodies inside their car on the side of Interstate 5 north of Redding. Judy was 84, and Wylie was 86.

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The Sheldons lived in Pacific Heights and often opened their home to artists, hosting visitors in town for the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, where Judy was a chairman on the board. 

“They were so dear and devoted to one another,” said Anita Monga, the artistic director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. “I know that being part of San Francisco was very important for them. They were in a position to be supportive of the arts. They raised their family here, and they were such integral parts of the community.”

Lieutenant Josh Smith with the CHP told SFGATE that the couple was traveling to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival when, on June 15 around 5:46 p.m., a CHP officer checked on their Jeep Compass parked along the highway approaching Lake Shasta. The car’s engine was still running, and the couple was found unresponsive inside.

“We don’t have a lot of information now,” Smith said. “An autopsy has not been performed yet. We’re waiting to hear when they’ll schedule that.”

Smith said they do not suspect foul play. Investigators are contacting family and friends for more information, as well as retracing the couple’s journey from the Bay Area to check where they stopped along the way.

“It was the hottest day of the year so far, or second hottest. I’m sure there’s always a possibility that excessive heat played a role,” Smith said. “But I can’t confirm that without a medical exam.” 

Judy was born on May 21, 1942, in Los Angeles to Hollywood parents, according to her IMDb page. Her mother Margaret Tallichet appeared in several 1940-era films, including “It Started With Eve” and “Stranger on the Third Floor,” while her father, William Wyler, was a decorated director. His career began in 1929, and he’d go on to set a record by winning three Academy Awards for best director, including one for the epic “Ben-Hur.”

William Wyler also directed the popular romantic comedy “Roman Holiday,” starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. Monga said that Judy briefly appears in the film alongside a sibling. 

“She’s at the Trevi Fountain, and Gregory Peck steals her camera,” Monga said. “Judy used to joke that she and her sister did so badly that their dad never put her in another film. She was very charming.”

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In 2003, Judy told the San Francisco Chronicle how growing up with Hollywood parents had its setbacks. “I hated to be the daughter of a famous person because I always felt, ‘Why should I be getting all this attention — he’s the one who’s done something,’” she said. 

Judy and Wylie Sheldon both graduated from Stanford University. Wylie attended Stanford Law School and went on to practice law until 2008.

The couple raised two sons, Christopher and Samuel, in San Francisco and often hosted parties for the arts inside their Pacific Heights home. Monga said Judy and her siblings would rotate their father’s Oscars; during some parties at her home, Judy would allow guests to hold and pose with the golden trophies. 

The Sheldons spread their influence across the city’s art and culture communities, including the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Performances, where Judy served as the gala co-chair in 2022.

“They have been patrons and supporters of SF Performances for decades,” Melanie Smith, the president of San Francisco Performances, wrote in an email. “… This is a terrible loss for the arts community, and we will miss them very much.”

Judy developed an interest in silent film in the mid-1990s following an invitation to the Italian festival Le Giornate del Cinema Muto. She returned to San Francisco, involving herself with the city’s silent film festival, a novice organization at the time. Judy joined the board, became its president and eventually became chairman, supporting the San Francisco Silent Film Festival for over 27 years. 

“I always admired her style and grace,” Monga said. “Seeing her navigate a party was a lesson in how to be a gracious human being.”