EXCLUSIVE: Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy Arakawa Finally Receive Grave Plaques More Than a Year After Tragic Deaths
Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa have been honored following their devastating deaths.
July 12 2026, Published 12:00 p.m. ET
Finally, Gene Hackman can rest in peace. While the actor's grave sat unmarked for more than a year after his death, RadarOnline.com can reveal it now has a headstone.
Inscribed with the words "Husband, Father, Artist," the plaque replaces a conch shell that had previously been used to signal his burial spot alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, at Santa Fe Memorial Gardens in New Mexico.
Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy Arakawa Honored
The pair was found dead at their home in February 2025.
The couple was found dead at their home in February 2025, with officials ultimately determining that Hackman, 95, succumbed to heart disease and Alzheimer's following his 65-year-old spouse's sudden passing from a rare illness contracted through rodents.
A private memorial was held for the couple last spring. However, a legal battle over the couple's wills seemed to prevent a proper interment.
Arakawa's plot only recently received a headstone as well. Wed to the Oscar winner since 1991, the former pianist is remembered on her marker as "Beloved Wife, A Beautiful Soul."
Autopsy Reports Released
Officials determined Hackman died at age ninety-five from heart disease.
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As Radar previously reported, the couple's autopsy reports were released in March and April 2025.
Betsy died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare and severe respiratory illness linked to exposure to rodent droppings. Investigators believe she died around mid-February 2025 after experiencing flu-like symptoms.
Hackman died from hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with advanced Alzheimer's disease listed as a significant contributing factor.
Following the investigation, authorities have claimed he died around February 18, 2025, roughly one week after his wife.
