A brief life, an enduring echo: Scott Anthony Redford and the family that carried his memory

Basic Information

A life measured in weeks, a memory measured in generations

Scott Anthony Redford lived just a handful of weeks, yet his name continues to appear like a small but luminous star in the Redford family constellation. Born on September 1, 1959, and gone by mid-November that same year, his brief life became a pivot point for his parents—actor and director Robert Redford and historian and activist Lola Van Wagenen—and a quiet thread woven through the stories of his three younger siblings: Shauna, James, and Amy.

Families often define themselves not just by milestones, but by how they carry their losses. For the Redfords, Scott’s death—commonly reported as due to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)—was a private heartbreak with public ripples. Over time, reflections on that loss have surfaced in family interviews and profiles, underscoring how a short candle can still cast a long glow.

Parents: craft, conscience, and the weight of absence

Robert Redford, an emblem of American cinema and the creative force behind Sundance, built a public life from roles, films, and institutions that nurtured independent voices. Yet behind the marquee was a father who, early in his marriage, endured the shattering loss of a firstborn son. That experience, by Redford’s own accounts in later years, left a mark—an awareness of life’s fragility that threaded through his choices and perspectives.

Lola Van Wagenen, a scholar and activist, shaped a parallel legacy anchored in history, education, and environmental awareness. Married in 1958, she and Robert navigated that first tragedy together and went on to raise three children. While Lola’s work largely unfolded away from Hollywood spotlights, her public identity reflects a scholar-activist’s steadiness—the kind of anchor that a family leans on when seas grow rough.

Siblings: three paths forward

• Shauna Jean Redford (born November 15, 1960) pursued a quiet, creative life in the arts. Known for her painting and for keeping much of her world private, she embodies a reflective response to public lineage.
• David James “James” Redford (May 5, 1962 – October 16, 2020) translated personal health challenges into purpose. A documentary filmmaker and environmental advocate, he founded initiatives to inspire organ donation awareness and later co-founded a nonprofit dedicated to environmental storytelling. His early liver transplant experience helped define a career driven by empathy and public service.
• Amy Hart Redford (born October 22, 1970) gravitated to the performing arts as an actress, director, and producer. Her work bridges independent and mainstream projects, often echoing the family’s enduring affinity for stories with substance.

Together, the siblings’ trajectories form a mosaic of creativity and conscience. In family profiles, they often speak of connection and continuity—of carrying forward not just a famous name, but a sense of responsibility to craft, community, and cause.

Grief into action: the family’s response to loss

The Redford family’s long arc suggests a principle lived quietly: grief can be an engine for empathy. In later decades, James Redford, in particular, turned personal trials into programs that served others—films that changed minds, and organizations that changed lives. Robert Redford’s championing of independent voices through Sundance cultivated spaces for textured, human stories, including those about healing, mortality, and resilience.

Scott’s passing sits at the origin point of that arc. While there are no personal achievements attached to his name—no schooling, sports, or milestones of a life cut short—his memory frames the family’s understanding of vulnerability. Put simply: he mattered, and the family’s work often reads like a series of answers to that truth.

Family at a glance

Timeline: anchors surrounding Scott Anthony Redford

Dates are presented to frame the family’s chronology and the lasting place Scott holds within it. Even as accomplishments accumulate in later decades, the opening chapter remains indelible.

The quiet legacy of an infant loss

Though Scott’s life left no direct professional or social footprint, it is continuously acknowledged in family histories, profiles, and retrospectives—especially when the Redfords speak about resilience and what it means to nurture meaning after loss. The family’s attention to health, the environment, and independent arts suggests an ethic of care: amplifying voices, tending shared spaces, and easing another person’s burden when possible.

In that sense, Scott’s story is not an absence so much as a resonance—an undertone that gives depth to the melody. Through his siblings’ art, his father’s institutions, and his mother’s scholarship, a small life continues to touch a wider world.

FAQ

Who were Scott Anthony Redford’s parents?

He was the firstborn child of actor/director Robert Redford and historian/activist Lola Van Wagenen.

When was Scott Anthony Redford born and when did he die?

He was born on September 1, 1959, and died in November 1959 at roughly 2½ months old.

What was the reported cause of death?

His death has been commonly reported as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Did Scott Anthony Redford have any children?

No; he died in infancy.

Who are his siblings?

His siblings are Shauna Jean Redford (b. 1960), David James “James” Redford (1962–2020), and Amy Hart Redford (b. 1970).

Is there a public record of his burial place?

Major public profiles do not prominently document a burial location.

Why is Scott mentioned in articles decades later?

He is part of the Redford family’s foundational history and is often acknowledged in biographies and family retrospectives.

Did the family’s loss shape later advocacy?

Family members have spoken about how personal trials deepened their commitment to meaningful work and public service.