"We lost a legend": Robert Redford's Boulder ties ran deep
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Robert Redford arrives for the August 1983 funeral of Sid Wells in Boulder. Photo: Daily Camera File Photo/MediaNews Group via Getty Images
From attending the University of Colorado and working at The Sink in the 1950s to heralding the coming move of his Sundance Film Festival, Robert Redford's story was often entwined with Boulder's.
The latest: Redford died Tuesday at his home in Utah at age 89.
- "Robert had deep ties to Colorado," Gov. Jared Polis wrote in a statement. "He will be missed, but his contributions will be felt for years to come and his legacy will live on."
Zoom in: Here are just a few ways Redford remains tied to the Boulder community:
CU Boulder: Redford is perhaps CU's most famous dropout, enrolling at CU on a baseball scholarship in 1954 but dropping out in 1955.
- He was awarded an honorary degree in 1987.
- Two of Redford's children also attended CU in the 1980s.
The Sink: He is also the most famous employee of Boulder's iconic bar and restaurant, having worked as a janitor at The Sink on University Hill while he was attending CU in 1955.
- He wore a Sink T-shirt to a press appearance in 2018, and his portrait is featured on one of its art-adorned walls.
- "We lost a legend," the restaurant posted on Instagram. "Farewell Robert Redford. You will always hold a special place in The Sink's story."
Sid Wells murder: Wells, the longtime boyfriend of Redford's daughter, Shauna, was found shot to death in his Boulder apartment in August 1983 at age 22. The actor's connection meant the case attracted plenty of media coverage at the time.
- Wells' roommate Thayne Smika was arrested but later released. A judge signed an arrest warrant for Smika in 2010, and he remains one of the FBI's most-wanted fugitives.
Politics: Redford, a major environmental activist, also made campaign appearances in Boulder and elsewhere in Colorado for both local and national candidates.
- He went to Aurora for then-candidate Barack Obama in 2008, and also helped campaign for former Colorado Attorney General and Sen. Ken Salazar, and former U.S. Attorney Tom Strickland, who was also a two-time Democratic nominee for U.S. senator.
Sundance Film Festival: While Redford had taken a step back from operating the film festival he founded, he said Sundance's decision to move to Boulder was necessary for its growth.
- "I am grateful to the Boulder community for its support, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the festival there," Redford said in a statement at the time.