**Robert Redford Spent His Final Years Quietly in the Bay Area Before Relocating to New Mexico**
*Published: September 18, 2025, 5:00 p.m. ET*
Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor and director known for iconic roles in *Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid* and *All the President’s Men*, spent his last years quietly in the Bay Area before relocating to New Mexico. Friends and neighbors have revealed that the screen legend carried a visible sadness after losing his son James to cancer.
Redford passed away on Tuesday, September 16, at the age of 89. For several years, he lived with his wife, artist Sibylle Szaggars, 67, in Tiburon, an affluent enclave overlooking San Francisco Bay.
### A Heartbreaking Loss
Locals remembered Redford as friendly and approachable, though many noticed the deep grief following the death of his son James in 2020 at the age of 58. James, a filmmaker and activist, had battled liver disease for decades before succumbing to bile duct cancer.
“He was one of my best customers,” said a waiter at a bayside restaurant in Tiburon who often served Redford. “Bob would sit at the same table every week with Sibylle and friends. He was incredibly gracious; he’d chat with the staff and ask questions about our lives. But there was an intense sadness to him after his son died. He talked about how much he missed him, and it was heartbreaking.”
A neighbor who frequently encountered Redford on Tiburon’s walking trails shared a similar sentiment. “He felt like a part of him had been lost; it was hard for him to live without his boy,” the acquaintance said. “You could see it weighed on him, even as he tried to carry on with daily life.”
### James’ Influence on Redford’s Work
James’ illness deeply influenced much of Redford’s career. After receiving two liver transplants in 1993, James established the James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness. He also directed *The Kindness of Strangers*, a documentary about organ donors, and went on to create a series of socially engaged films while raising two children with his wife, Kyle.
The loss of James was not the first tragedy in the Redford family. Robert Redford and his first wife, historian Lola Van Wagenen, 86, lost their first child, Scott, to sudden infant death syndrome in 1959, when Redford was only 21.
Reflecting on that difficult period in a 2017 interview with *Esquire UK*, Redford said, “Of course it was traumatic, and how that plays out over time, I don’t know. We had to deal with it. You have to move on. And we had other children who came. But something like that doesn’t get completely dismissed.”
### Life in Tiburon and Relocation
Redford purchased his Tiburon home in 2020 for $3.1 million and sold it in 2024 for $4.65 million. Nestled among redwoods, the split-level property offered sweeping views of Angel Island and San Francisco Bay. He also sold a Napa Valley estate in 2019 for $7 million.
A close friend revealed that the decision to leave Tiburon was driven by Szaggars’ affection for the Santa Fe art scene. “He said he loved Tiburon, but it was time for a change,” the friend explained. “He promised to come back to visit, and everyone here missed him.”
Despite his more private later years, Redford’s neighbors recalled moments of warmth. One local woman said, “Seeing Robert Redford was a highlight. He’d wave back when I waved to him on Main Street, usually wearing a cap and sunglasses. No autographs, no photos—just respect.”
### Final Moments and Legacy
Redford’s publicist, Cindi Berger, confirmed that he died at his Sundance home in Utah, “surrounded by those he loved.” His legacy remains not only in his celebrated film work but also in his contributions to organ transplant awareness and socially conscious filmmaking.
Robert Redford will be remembered as a legendary actor, director, and compassionate human being who touched countless lives both on and off the screen.
https://radaronline.com/p/robert-redford-last-days-reclusive-intense-sadness-death-of-son/