Prominent San Francisco Couple Found Dead In Running SUV Along CA Highway

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The deaths of longtime San Francisco arts patrons Judith Wyler Sheldon and her husband Wylie Sheldon have sparked tributes across the city’s cultural community after the couple was found dead in their vehicle along Interstate 5 in Northern California.

Judith Wyler Sheldon, 84, the daughter of William Wyler, who won three Oscars for best directing Miniver, The Best Years of Our Lives and Ben-Hur, was driving the Jeep Compass Ashland, Ore., where the couple planned to meet two other couples as part of an annual road trip to the town's Shakespeare Festival, according to the New York Times. Wylie Sheldon, 86, was a prominent San Francisco lawyer.

The two other couples waiting for the Sheldons to arrive learned from one of the couple's sons that California Highway Patrol found them in a running Jeep Compass parked north of Redding on the side of Interstate 5 about 100 miles from their destination. Authorities have said their deaths are medically-related, foul play is not suspected and extreme heat conditions may have been a contributing factor.

“They didn’t crash. They stopped. They both just died there,” said David Smith, one of the friends who'd been waiting for the couple to arrive in Ashland. Ore. “The entire thing is so bizarre. We’re still in a state of shock.”

The Sheldons were longtime Pacific Heights residents who were deeply involved in supporting San Francisco cultural institutions, including film, opera and performance organizations, according to the San Francisco Gate. Judith served in leadership roles with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival for decades and most recently served as a chairman for the board.

The Sheldons often opened up their home and hosted artists visiting during the film festival, according to the Gate.

“They were so dear and devoted to one another,” Anita Monga, the artistic director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, told the San Francisco Gate. “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.”

More via the New York Times and SF Gate