Robert Redford lived for several years in the sleepy but affluent suburb of Tiburon that has spectacular views of San Francisco.
That is where the Oscar winner built up a circle of friends among his neighbors with his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, before his dead on Tuesday morning at the age of 89.
Daily Mail has talked to several of his pals in the area who described the actor as ‘kind but sad.’
‘He was one of my best customers and he came weekly,’ a waiter at a bayside restaurant told Daily Mail.
‘Bob, as we called him, would sit at the same round table every week with his wife and friends and he was incredibly gracious.
‘He talked to the staff and was personable, he asked questions and was interested in everyone.
‘But there was an intense sadness to him after his son died a few years ago.
Bob talked about how much he missed his son, it was a heartbreaking thing for him,’ added the waiter.
Robert Redford, who died Tuesday morning at the age of 89, lived for several years in the sleepy but affluent town of Tiburon that has views of San Francisco
That is where he built up a circle of friends along with his wife, Sibylle Szaggars. Now Daily Mail has talked to several of his pals in the area who described the actor as ‘kind but sad’; a view of Tiburon’s harbor
‘He felt like a part of him had been lost, it was hard for him to live without his boy.
‘It took a toll on him to see his son die like that,’ added the Tiburon local.
Redford’s son James died of cancer at age 58 in October 2020. He lived in the woodsy town of Fairfax, which is about 10 miles northwest of dad’s home in with Sibylle in Tiburon.
James was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a disease that affects the liver and bile ducts, in the early 90s.
He had two liver transplants in 1993 and founded a nonprofit called the James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness following those surgeries.
In 1999, James released a documentary, The Kindness of Strangers, which focused on organ donors and recipients.
Redford and his first wife, Lola Van Wagenen, had four children together: Scott, Shauna, James and Amy Redford.
The former couple’s firstborn, Scott, died from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) at two months old after being born in September 1959.
In 2017, Redford talked to Esquire U.K. about the death of Scott.
‘There was an intense sadness to him after his son died a few years ago. Bob talked about how much he missed his son, it was a heartbreaking thing for him,’ added the waiter; Robert and James seen in 2003 in Hollywood
James died of cancer at 58 in October 2020. He lived in Fairfax, which is about 10 miles northwest of Tiburon where dad resided with Sibylle; seen in 2018 in San Francisco
‘I was only 21; my wife was 20. We were just starting our lives; I was just starting my career in New York. Of course it was traumatic, and how that plays out over time, I don’t know,’ Robert said at the time.
‘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. It probably shows up in various small ways you’re not even aware of.’
Redford left the Bay Area last year after he listed the Tiburon home for $4.15 million in December 2024.
‘He wanted to go to Santa Fe in New Mexico because his wife liked the art scene,’ the waiter told Daily Mail. That is where Mrs. Redford owns Sibylle Szaggars Redford Fine Art.
Redford lived in this home in Tiburon, but in December 2024 he listed the property for $4.15 million. It later sold for $4.65 million
Tiburon is an affluent waterfront community in Marin County with stunning views of the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate Bridge, offering outdoor activities, fine dining, and luxury real estate
Another local said that seeing Redford was ‘a great highlight’ as she would wave to him while walking down Main Street. ‘He liked to walk around Tiburon and would say hello and wave to locals,’ said the woman
‘He said he loved Tiburon but it was time for a change. He said he would come back to visit. Everyone misses him because he was nice and a class act. He was so gracious. We are sad he died.’
‘Hiking was a big deal for Bob when he was younger, he walked the trails all the time and knew the name of every flower and plant,’ an acquaintance of Redford, who often often saw him on the walking trails, said.
‘He liked the local flora and fauna, and was a real nature lover type.’
Another local said that seeing Redford was ‘a great highlight’ as she would wave to him while walking down Main Street which had several restaurants like Sam’s Anchor Cafe and Michael Mina’s The Bungalow Kitchen.
‘He liked to walk around Tiburon and would say hello and wave to locals,’ said the woman. ‘He always had a cap and sunglasses on but everyone knew it was Robert Redford. In Tiburon, no one asks for autographs or photos, that just does not happen, but they do say hello.’
Other celebrities who have lived in Tiburon include Robin Williams, Barry Bonds and Carlos Santana. Neal Schon from the rock band Journey also owned a home in Tiburon.
Redford made three films in the Bay Area: The 1972 political dramedy The Candidate which takes place in Sacramento, but was partially shot in the Bay. The 1992 spy thriller Sneakers which was both filmed and set in the Bay Area. And in 2009, Redford narrated Saving the Bay, a four-part KQED documentary about the region’s delicate maritime ecology.
Redford’s 2,824-square-foot Tiburon house was built in 1968.
The property sits on the Tiburon Peninsula and overlooks the San Francisco Bay. It also has breathtaking views of Keil Cove and Angel Island.
Redford and his first wife, Lola Van Wagenen, welcomed four children together: Scott, Shauna, James and Amy Redford. The former couple’s firstborn, Scott, died from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) at two months old after being born in September 1959. Seen in 1976
Redford pictured with Szaggars in October 2013 in NYC
The split-level cottage, residing on a 0.2-acre lot, is surrounded by towering Redwood trees. The listing agent, Steven Mavromihalis of Compass, described the property as an ‘oasis of privacy’.
The home is tucked away in a cul-de-sac with minimal traffic, according to Mavromihalis, and boasts a spacious family room, two-car garage, a front and garden patio and expansive decks facing south and east.
Redford originally bought the home for $3.1 million in 2020, and it sold for $4.65 million.
Redford also had a home in Napa Valley he owned for 14 years before putting in on the market in 2018 for $7.5 million. The estate, dubbed Danza del Sol, had a main house, artist’s studio and a workshop while Redford owned it.
The main house offered 5,255-square-feet of living space, with three bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths. Redford finally sold his wine country getaway for $7 million in January 2019.
His publicist, Cindi Berger, told Daily Mail that Redford died at ‘his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah–the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved’.
