Robert Redford’s remarkable journey came to a peaceful close in the mountains of Utah, a place he considered his true home. The Oscar-winning actor, director, and environmental activist died on September 16 at his Sundance residence, surrounded by family. He was 89.
GettyIn a statement published in The New York Times, Cindi Berger, chairman and CEO of Rogers & Cowan PMK, confirmed Redford “passed away at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved.”
Though born in Santa Monica and raised in Los Angeles, Redford often said Utah was his sanctuary, a haven where he could step away from Hollywood’s glare and embrace a quieter, more authentic life.
Building a Life & Family in Utah
(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)Redford’s love story with Utah began in 1961, not long after marrying his first wife, historian Lola Van Wagenen. The couple bought a small plot of land in Provo Canyon, where they would raise their family. Together they welcomed four children: Scott, Shauna, James, and Amy.
Their firstborn, Scott, tragically died of sudden infant death syndrome in 1959, while James later passed away from cancer in 2020.
The actor often described Utah as more than just a home: it was a place that grounded him. In a 1978 interview with Rocky Mountain Magazine (reported by the New York Times), Redford captured its spirit, saying: “It’s not trying to pretend to be something it’s not. It doesn’t invite you in and then kick you in the shins.”
(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)“I grew up in Los Angeles, near Hollywood, so there was no magic for me about Hollywood,” Redford said to The Salt Lake Tribune in a 2005 interview.
Sundance Mountain Resort & Film Festival Legacy
In 1969, Redford purchased the Timp Haven ski resort and renamed it Sundance Mountain Resort, inspired by one of his most iconic roles — “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”
While developers had visions of lining the land with condominiums, Redford had a different dream: “to develop a little and preserve a great deal.”
Out of that vision came one of his proudest legacies. In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute, which blossomed into a world-renowned home for independent storytellers. By 1991, the Sundance Film Festival had become the largest independent film festival in the U.S., drawing filmmakers and audiences from around the world.
“It means a lot to me. I’ve devoted so much of my life to it,” Redford told People magazine in 2005.
Decades later, in 2020, Redford decided to sell Sundance Mountain Resort to new owners, admitting the beloved property had become “a lot of weight for me to be carrying around.” Still, his vision of blending art, nature, and preservation remains the heart of Sundance.
Love, Ranch Life & His Lasting Connection to Utah
Years after his divorce from Van Wagenen, Redford met German artist and activist Sibylle Szaggars on a ski trip at Sundance in 1996. The two married in 2009 in Hamburg, Germany, and made Utah their home together.
That same year, he purchased a 30-acre horse ranch in Charleston, Utah, naming it Horse Whisperer Ranch after his 1998 film “The Horse Whisperer.”
While initially intended as a haven for horses, it became a cherished retreat for him and Sibylle.
In 2021, Redford explained to The Wall Street Journal that he sold the ranch to focus on their Provo Canyon property: “For the last 25 years, my family and I have loved and embraced this ranch… Looking ahead, we want to focus on expanding the facilities at our ranch located at Sundance in nearby Provo Canyon.”
