Movies

Gene Hackman’s Secret Burial: Unmarked Grave in Santa Fe

BBG News

As a die-hard admirer, I can’t help but share this heartfelt revelation: The revered actor Gene Hackman, who graced our screens with his extraordinary talent, now rests in an unadorned grave, nestled on the periphery of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Even those paying their respects at neighboring graves in the cemetery are oblivious to his final resting place, according to a Daily Mail exclusive.

It seems likely that the Oscar-winning individual and his late spouse, Betsy Arakawa, who rests next to him, would have approved of this arrangement, considering their choice years ago to abandon Hollywood for a rural lifestyle.

Due to their secluded lifestyle, the unexpected deaths of Hackman, aged 95, and his wife, Arakawa, who was 63, occurred in late February without drawing immediate attention for more than a week.

Following an autopsy that confirmed Arakawa’s death due to a hantavirus infection, prior to Hackman developing heart disease and advanced Alzheimer’s a week afterwards, they were laid to rest last month at the Santa Fe Memorial Gardens, without any formal recognition from the public.

The event was held under such a veil of secrecy that not even some graveyard workers knew who was being interred. It’s been revealed by the Daily Mail that Hackman’s three adult children from his first marriage went to the funeral, and they instructed the management of Memorial Gardens to prevent any media coverage of the news.

Hackman amassed an $80 million fortune, yet excluded his children from his will due to a rift in their relationship. Arakawa was intended to inherit everything, but she passed away before him, leaving uncertainty about whether the wealth will eventually be distributed among Hackman’s children – Christopher (65), Elizabeth (63), and Leslie (58) – instead.

On Thursday, when The Mail stopped by Memorial Gardens, the employees verified that the pair had been interred there and indicated towards an unremarkable grave site, which was merely a small, three-feet square piece of soil situated beside a stone pathway.

A fallen ‘No Parking’ sign, used to secure a chain-link fence dividing the driveway from a grave site, was found in the Hackman plot. People unknowingly walked across it, unwittingly treading on hallowed ground of a prominent figure in Hollywood.

There were no flowers or notes left, only a black softcover book weighed down by two conch shells.

Unusually, Clarissa Pinkola Estés’ book, “Women Who Run With the Wolves,” consists of tales about powerful women drawn from folklore. However, the motivation for writing this book and its author remain a mystery.

Just beyond, there were three wind chimes suspended from a petite tree, offering a view of a humble four-acre graveyard situated on East Rodeo Drive, approximately four miles south of the heart of Santa Fe, and around ten miles away from the Hackman manor.

Rivera Family Funerals & Cremations runs the non-denominational business, which opened in 1954.

The memorial gardens are situated opposite an assisted living center and offer a remote vantage point of the Southern Rockies, distinctly lacking the opulence or lavishness characteristic of cemeteries like Hollywood Forever in Los Angeles.

Nor does it have the size or prominence of the Santa Fe National Cemetery.

To date, the most well-known inhabitants of the memorial gardens have been none other than the former governor of New Mexico, John Miles, as well as the poet and writer, Winfield Townley Scott.

When contacted by the Daily Mail, Rivera’s manager declined to comment on the Hackman burial or affirm their presence at the location.

Or:

The Daily Mail approached Rivera’s manager about the Hackman burial, but he chose not to discuss it and did not confirm if the couple was present there.

On the company’s site, there’s no record of any recent funerals or burials that include the Hackman family.

A team member shared with the Mail that the Hackman family relaxed their request for confidentiality towards the end of April, allowing them to openly confirm the burials.

‘We are very honored to have Gene Hackman buried here at our cemetery,’ the staffer said.

Instead of pointing out the unremarkable patch of soil, the staff member remained tight-lipped regarding the details of the service or the timeline for setting up a headstone on that particular grave site.

In the afternoon when the post was delivered to the Hackman plot, not a soul dropped by that particular grave, nor did anyone seem aware of its existence. Rather, people flocked to other neighboring burial sites, where numerous offerings such as roses, greeting cards, and Easter eggs could be found.

A group of six relatives, honoring a deceased passenger, convened nearby to commemorate what would have been the 21st birthday of a 12-year-old victim who passed away in a car accident back in 2016.

Indeed, it came as a surprise to Rebecca Padilla, aged 56, when she found out that Gene Hackman was present, as she hadn’t known beforehand! (Daily Mail)

She continued, “I’ve seen many of his films, like ‘Hoosiers’, ‘Superman’, and ‘Unforgiven’. It was truly shocking to learn about the events surrounding him from the news articles.

‘Honestly, it’s surprising he’s here because he’s a well-known actor,’ she said.

A different family member, Brian Ibarra (aged 17), commented, “It seems unusual for someone of his size to be laid to rest here. Yet, perhaps he wouldn’t desire something grand. Perhaps, this simple setting was precisely what he preferred.

Hackman and Arakawa were both found dead and partially mummified in their ranch on Feb. 26. 

On the next day, Photos emerged outside a Denny’s restaurant in California, showing Hackman’s two daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, departing with cheerful expressions and an upbeat mood.

Their elder brother, Christopher, has not been seen in years. 

It emerged later that Arakawa passed away in their bathroom on approximately February 12, while Hackman succumbed to death on February 18. Their dog, Zinna, was discovered deceased in a crate near Arakawa’s body, apparently from dehydration and malnutrition.

In a video acquired by the Daily Mail in March, it is audible that Elizabeth, Hackman’s eldest child, is talking to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office on the phone, discussing the handling of Zinna’s deceased body.

Elizabeth mentioned, “I was considering having our pet cremated and its ashes buried with Betsy.” It isn’t clear if this plan has already been carried out.

Medical experts concluded that Arakawa’s death was due to a severe lung condition linked to the dangerous and uncommon Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, which can be contracted by coming into contact with rodents’ urine, saliva, or droppings.

After his wife passed away, it is thought that Hackman, who was battling advanced Alzheimer’s disease, might have been wandering around their home unknowingly. Tragically, he eventually succumbed to severe heart disease. However, both Alzheimer’s and kidney diseases were additional contributing factors to his demise.

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2025-05-02 23:49

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