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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, in late February, their story took a devastating turn when fate dealt them an unimaginable tragedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Final hours<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On February 11, security cameras captured 65-year-old Arakawa<\/a> running normal errands, and shopping at a CVS Pharmacy in Santa Fe. The woman \u2013 who would be dead in only a few short hours \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In her final hours, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said she sent an email, picked up a few essentials, and stopped for groceries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But there was one thing she missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zinfandel<\/p>\n\n\n\n In late January, Zinna \u2013 short for Zinfandel, Hackman\u2019s favorite wine \u2013 was picked up by Arakawa from the Gruda Veterinary Hospital after she \u201chad major surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s<\/a> dogs \u2013 Zinna, 12, 4-year-old Bear and Nikita, 7 \u2013 for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c[Arakawa] was friendly, dutiful. That\u2019s how we make a living, with owners that care for their animals and see us consistently,\u201d Gruda told USA Today<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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…<\/p>\n