One quiet afternoon in Santa Monica in the 1940s, Robert Redford is seen sketching the silhouettes of sailboats. The sun is painting a golden path on the waters showing a bright future they lay ahead.
This scene captures the essence of a life, showing his unrivaled talent, much like his performance in movies like the Great Gatsby and Butch Cassidy, as well as in The Sundance Kid. His on-screen performance is so brilliant that it often overshadows his great family legacy behind him.
Today, we’ll explore all about Robert Redford’s family tree, tracing the lineage of one of the best actors in America. We will also help you understand how his family helped shape the man behind the legend. Let’s get started!
In this article
All About Robert Redford's Family Tree
Parents: Charles Robert Redford Sr. and Martha Hart
Robert Redford was born as Charles Robert Redford Jr. on August 18th, 1936, in Santa Monica, California. His father was Charles Robert Redford Sr., and he used to work as a milkman first, and later as an accountant, giving his child a disciplined home life.
His mother, known as Martha Hart, was a basic homemaker known for warmth and an optimistic nature. Unfortunately, she passed away in 1955 when Robert was barely 18 years old, leaving a lasting impact on him. She also fully shaped his appreciation for family.
Robert Redford’s First Marriage: Lola Van Wagenen
In 1958, Robert Redford married Lola Van Wagenen, who happened to be a historian and activist. Their marriage lasted around 3 decades before they divorced in 1985. Lola was known for her work in historical preservation and women’s rights, and she shared Redford’s passion for education and culture.
First Child: Scott Anthony Redford (1959-1959)
Robert and Lola’s first child was Scott Anthony Redford, who was born in 1959, but he sadly passed away from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) just a few months later. The tragedy happened to leave a deep emotional mark on both parents and shaped Robert’s outlook on life and family.
Second Child: Shauna Redford (Born 1960)
Shauna Redford was born in 1960. She inherited her parents’ creative flair, but she channelled it through painting rather than being in film. She pursued a career as a visual artist and has exhibited most of her works across the United States.
Shauna happened to marry Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation, in 1985, and together, they had 2 children. Her art mimics the strength that was found throughout the Redford family.
Third Child: David James “Jamie” Redforc (1962-2020)
David James Redford, often known as “Jamie,” was born in 1962. He grew up to follow his father’s footsteps into the world of film, but with a direct focus on storytelling that could really make a difference. He became a respected documentary filmmaker and social activist. He produced works like The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia and Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution.
He also co-founded The Redford Centre, which was a non-profit dedicated to environmental filmmaking. Unfortunately, after a lifelong battle with liver disease and cancer, he passed away in 2020.
Fourth Child: Amy Redford (Born 1970)
The youngest of Robert and Lola’s children was Amy Redford, born in 1970. Like her father, she gravitated mostly towards acting and filmmaking. Amy appeared in films like The Sopranos and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
She also moved behind the camera quite often, directing and producing several projects that showcase her true storytelling talent.
Robert Redford’s Second Marriage: Sibylle Szaggars
After decades of companionship, Robert Redford ended up marrying Sibylle Szaggars in 2009. Sibylle was a German-born multimedia artist, known for her environmentally inspired art installations and paintings.
The couple ended up meeting in the early 1990s and shared a deep commitment to nature, creativity, and sustainability.
Grandchildren
Robert Redford had several grandchildren through his daughters, Shauna, Amy, and his late son, David. Though the Redfords maintain a private family life, it’s mostly known that they continue to improve their creative spirit, with most of their grandchildren exploring art, film, and storytelling.
How to Make Family Trees for Other Famous Persons?
Creating a family tree for a well-known figure like Robert Redford provides a look into the ancestry and relationships of the person. Here’s how to build one:
- Collect background information: Start by gathering important facts, such as names, birth dates, death dates, marriages, and children.
- Identify generations: Find out about grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren and build a logical structure before you officially begin designing.
- Create a general outline: Sketch out a simple design. You can decide on the layout that will best represent the connections.
- Add your names and relationships: Fill in the chart from the earliest ancestors to the most recent generation. Use connecting lines to show relationships.
- Include photos: Adding photos makes it easy to visualise the person you’re adding to the layout.
- Review and verify: Check each name, date, and relationship for accuracy.
- Export: Once everything is complete, save your family tree digitally or print it.
Steps to Make a Family Tree
Most people will get stuck when drawing family trees by hand. It takes a lot of time, and the result might look messy at times. Therefore, I have used EdrawMind, a free family tree maker online to sketch this family tree.
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Step1 Open EdrawMind and Get Started
- Launch EdrawMind.
- Click Create and then select Blank Mind Map.
- You can also start from a template by selecting Gallery.
- There, you will find several templates that you can select from.
- Search for Family Tree and select a pre-made family tree template to help you get started.
- For this guide, we will start from scratch.
Step2 Select Shape and Colours
- Once the blank Mindmap is open, select your desired shape and place it in the centre. This will be our main Robert Redford focus box.
- Right next to the Shape button, click the Fill button and select a light colour to help highlight it.
- Write Robert Redford in the light pink box.
Step3 Place The Mother And Father Above
- Now that we’ve placed the main box, it’s time to place the other boxes.
- Select another shape and place two of them above Robert Redford’s box.
- Write Charles Robert Redford Sr. in the left box and Martha Hart in the right box.
Step4 Building Relationships
- From the toolbar above, select Relationships. Select a straight line relationship option.
- Choose the Martha Hart box, and connect the line to Robert Redford. In the middle of the line, write mother.
- Repeat this to build a father-son relationship between Charles Robert Redford Sr. and Robert Redford.
Step5 Robert Redford’s Marriages
- Now, let’s build the marriage boxes.
- Place two square boxes beneath Robert Redford.
- Change the colour to any one you like.
- Label the right box “Sibylle Szaggars” and the left box “Lola Van Wagenen”.
- Build a relationship connecting from Lola’s box to Robert’s box by labelling it first marriage.
- Build a relationship connecting Sibylle’s box to Robert’s box by labelling it a second marriage.
Step6 Robert’s Four Children
- Place down four boxes far below Robert Redford’s box.
- Starting from the left, label them Scott Anthomy Redford, Shauna Redford, David James Redford, and Amy Redford.
- Change the colour.
- Build relationships by connecting it from Robert Redford to each child’s box. Label it first child, second child and so on.
Step7 Shauna and David’s Marriages
- Place one box beneath Shauna Redford and one beneath David James Redford.
- Label the box beneath Shauna Eric Schlosser and make a relationship of husband/wife between them.
- Label the box beneath David, Kyle Redford and make a relationship of husband/wife between them.
- Make boxes and relationships for their children, too.
- Make a daughter box for Amy Redford and connect the two as a mother relationship.
Step8 Exporting The File
- Click the File option from the top left corner.
- Click Save to keep an editable version.
- To share, select Export and choose different formats such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, JPG, or PNG.
Wrapping Up
The Robert Redford family tree reveals a lineage of talent and creativity that spans across his generations. From his humble beginnings to his children’s and grandchildren’s artistic accomplishments, the Redford family continues to inspire through their work and values.
If you’re ready to explore your own family history, try creating your own visual masterpiece with EdrawMind today!
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