For decades, Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa shared a quiet life together in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Away from the blinding spotlight of Hollywood, the legendary actor and his classical pianist wife built a home filled with love, music, and a lot of paws.
But, in late February, their story took a devastating turn when fate dealt them an unimaginable tragedy.
Final hours
On February 11, security cameras captured 65-year-old Arakawa running normal errands, and shopping at a CVS Pharmacy in Santa Fe. The woman – who would be dead in only a few short hours – quietly browsed the aisles with a mask covering her face. The face mask was likely a sign of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), the rare and deadly virus linked to rodent droppings that was already attacking her lungs.
In her final hours, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said she sent an email, picked up a few essentials, and stopped for groceries.
But there was one thing she missed.
Zinfandel
In late January, Zinna – short for Zinfandel, Hackman’s favorite wine – was picked up by Arakawa from the Gruda Veterinary Hospital after she “had major surgery.”
This, according to the owner, Robert Gruda, was the last time the staff saw Arakawa, who was a favorite at the clinic that had been treating her and Hackman’s dogs – Zinna, 12, 4-year-old Bear and Nikita, 7 – for several years.
“[Arakawa] was friendly, dutiful. That’s how we make a living, with owners that care for their animals and see us consistently,” Gruda told USA Today.