Gene Hackman dead at 95: Iconic actor and wife, 63, are found dead with their dog at Santa Fe home. #3

[NuttMegg]

Betsy was in top shape, a fitness professional. To explain her death under the circumstances is tough.

Sometimes it doesn"t matter. Years ago.Jim Fixx was a super famous runner, wrote an equally famous book on the art of running
He was the face of the new fad/sport throughout media, throughout the USA. Ran 10 miles a day.

And died of a heart attack at 52.

 

[Izzylizzy]

Chilling? It won't show bodies of humans or dogs, nor should it.

A death scene image can be "chilling" w/o a body being shown.

 

[Sunshynn]

Betsy was in top shape, a fitness professional. To explain her death under the circumstances is tough.

I have never seen it listed that she was a fitness professional just that she appeared to be in 'perfect health'.
She was a classic pianist, not a fitness professional.

Gene Hackman neighbor says his wife seemed 'in perfect health' before death

The Santa Fe County Sheriff will be releasing new updates later today on Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's deaths.

www.newsweek.com

 

[ttjo]

The sheriff said early on that there were no injuries attributable to a fall.

This is such a mystery, I hope we hear something today. Just to put an end to all the negative speculation. Not just about how they died, but assumptions about his wife and kids and their relationships that are the complete opposite of what we have read.

 

[Izzylizzy]

Sheriff Adan Mendoza is surely aware that after his department's criticism of the movie "Rust" investigation and now being sued by Alec Balwin that he best dot all his "I"s and cross all is "T"s

 

[NuttMegg]

I have never seen it listed that she was a fitness professional just that she appeared to be in 'perfect health'.
She was a classic pianist, not a fitness professional.

Gene Hackman neighbor says his wife seemed 'in perfect health' before death

The Santa Fe County Sheriff will be releasing new updates later today on Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's deaths.

www.newsweek.com

One of those links from a couple of days ago, here, said they met at a gym in California. Maybe she was then a trainer. But in 1984, like >40 years ago.

 

[NCWatcher]

Agreed.

The caregiver, presumably, did not try to contact BA but had no issue running to the media to let them know that BA had not checked in on her dementia riddled mother 4 months.

Not that it truly matters, but was BA an only child? Could there have been an other child checking in on the mother and that is why BA had stopped making such an effort?
If I remember correctly, didn't the caretaker say the BA called to check in every one or two months? Maybe things with Gene had gotten so difficult - since he was going downhill, reportedly - that she was leaving the monthly check ins to another sibling?

MOO

BA was apparently an only child. Her mother was her only living relative and vice versa.

Whether one thinks it was right or wrong for the housekeeper to comment at all (unlike the couple's friends and employees who haven't been criticized for speaking & sometimes have been applauded) we don't know that she "went running to the media" or whether the DM came to her. If she's been after fame, I'd expect her to have gone to more than one outlet-- and not necessarily have chosen the DM. But like all the other comments on this subject, mine represent only an opinion.
MOO

 

[NCWatcher]

No, but I would have expected them to ask.

Well, that's a criticism of the reporter then, not of the housekeeper/caretaker. And even with that criticism, it doesn't mean the other story-- how long it had been since BA called was untrue.
MOO

 

[friendlysleuther]

(From the end of the last thread)

True, we aren't told that. And I think I probably would have called myself when a 1-2 month check-in call didn't arrive (with the last call reportedly being in Oct so one would have been expected in Dec at the latest.) But that really is an entirely separate question from what the DM reported. And IMO not reporting on a different question doesn't make the reporting the DM did do about the housekeeper/caretaker's comments unreliable.

As multiple people have said, we really don't know much about the "reclusive" dead couple and the arrangements they had with various people including their families. It may be BA asked the housekeeper/caretaker to call only if there was an emergency with her mother. It may be the longtime housekeeper/caretaker isn't one to take the initiative anyway. We just don't know.
MOO

The only housekeeper that came forward was Betsy’s mothers housekeeper

 

[NCWatcher]

The only housekeeper that came forward was Betsy’s mothers housekeeper

I know that. But in some reports the woman, Keiko, is described as a housekeeper and in other places as a caretaker and yet in other places as a housekeeper AND caretaker. Since I do not know which is correct, but I suspect any housekeeper of a dementia patient is at least partly a caretaker, I used the term housekeeper/caretaker to TRY to avoid confusion. Guess that didn't work!

 

[Izzylizzy]

BA was apparently an only child. Her mother was her only living relative and vice versa.

Whether one thinks it was right or wrong for the housekeeper to comment at all (unlike the couple's friends and employees who haven't been criticized for speaking & sometimes have been applauded) we don't know that she "went running to the media" or whether the DM came to her. If she's been after fame, I'd expect her to have gone to more than one outlet-- and not necessarily have chosen the DM. But like all the other comments on this subject, mine represent only an opinion.
MOO

Hear! Hear!

 

[NuttMegg]

A death scene image can be "chilling" w/o a body being shown.

Sure and I'll probably watch whatever it is. To make it chilling, imo, it would have to have those outlines from TV. I can't help but be interested in which way both of their bodies were leaning when they fell. I don't think that's been released. Occasionally I trip and fall, or nearly fall in my garden. And each time my first thought is. Wow I didn't know I was going so fast, with so much forward momentum. I mean just small trips over branches. No big deal but major propulsion.

Also would like to see what kind of step, if any, was located between the kitchen and mudroom.

 

[tomstrees]

I have never seen it listed that she was a fitness professional just that she appeared to be in 'perfect health'.
She was a classic pianist, not a fitness professional.

Gene Hackman neighbor says his wife seemed 'in perfect health' before death

The Santa Fe County Sheriff will be releasing new updates later today on Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's deaths.

www.newsweek.com

Everything about them says they wanted good optimum health, positive vibes, and to keep living as long as they could. Betsy owned "Pandora's Closet" with other people in town.

Gene Hackman's extreme exercise and diet regime forced on him by wife

The Hawaiian native, who was of Japanese ancestry, 'believed staying physically fit was of utmost importance to his health,' a source has told DailyMail.com.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[tomstrees]

"Sometimes it doesn"t matter. Years ago.Jim Fixx was a super famous runner, wrote an equally famous book on the art of running
He was the face of the new fad/sport throughout media, throughout the USA. Ran 10 miles a day.

"And died of a heart attack at 52."

Jim Fixx died jogging in Hardwick, VT on a country road. From what I could see he went overboard with fitness and as others commented on at the time was not balanced on health. I once worked a short time for the hippie farmer Robert Houriet in Hardwick, organic farm, not particularly well organized. I'm a hard liner on natural healing and health, and am not happy with those who venture into recreational drugs like Houriet.

 

[Sunshynn]

Everything about them says they wanted good optimum health, positive vibes, and to keep living as long as they could. Betsy owned "Pandora's Closet" with other people in town.

Fair enough. I see where you're coming from.

MOO, but I think being health conscious and a fitness professional are two different things.

It's semantics, I know, but when someone says fitness professional I think of like Richard Simmons who used to do it publicly.
That's where my confusion was coming from because I have no doubt that BA and GH were, somewhat, health conscious as she was trying to prolong GH (and by extension her own) life as much as possible.

 

[Izzylizzy]

When Gene got out he certainly was a "creature of habit".

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

Agreed.

The caregiver, presumably, did not try to contact BA but had no issue running to the media to let them know that BA had not checked in on her dementia riddled mother 4 months.

Not that it truly matters, but was BA an only child? Could there have been an other child checking in on the mother and that is why BA had stopped making such an effort?
If I remember correctly, didn't the caretaker say the BA called to check in every one or two months? Maybe things with Gene had gotten so difficult - since he was going downhill, reportedly - that she was leaving the monthly check ins to another sibling?

MOO

I think this is unfair. We don't know that she didn't try to contact Betsy. We don't know what she was instructed to do. We don't know anything about the caregiver or her level of sophistication. She may be confused and concerned about the care situation of Betsy's mother, and if there are no more family members, then there could be legal and financial problems abounding for the mother's care. We do not know any of this, and I would never judge a caregiver, who does a very difficult job, in this situation, and assume she was speaking out for gain or fame. Grief and fear (especially) make a person do things they may not do otherwise.

 

[MrsEmmaPeel]

I have never seen it listed that she was a fitness professional just that she appeared to be in 'perfect health'.
She was a classic pianist, not a fitness professional.

Gene Hackman neighbor says his wife seemed 'in perfect health' before death

The Santa Fe County Sheriff will be releasing new updates later today on Hackman and Betsy Arakawa's deaths.

www.newsweek.com

Gene and Betsy met in a gym in LA, where she was working. I'd bet she was in tiptop form.

 

[tomstrees]

Sometimes it doesn"t matter. Years ago.Jim Fixx was a super famous runner, wrote an equally famous book on the art of running
He was the face of the new fad/sport throughout media, throughout the USA. Ran 10 miles a day.

And died of a heart attack at 52.

When Gene got out he certainly was a "creature of habit".

With all his talents, amenability to a healthy diet, etc. with green drinks, kombucha, chia, and other organic foods would have been unlikely. He was often seen with a cigar in his mouth as well. One thing I've learned being something of a health advocate is you just can't teach old dogs new tricks.

 

[Izzylizzy]

With all his talents, amenability to a healthy diet, etc. with green drinks, kombucha, chia, and other organic foods would have been unlikely. He was often seen with a cigar in his mouth as well. One thing I've learned being something of a health advocate is you just can't teach old dogs new tricks.

From what's been reported about the healthy food/care that BA oversaw with GH for decades he reminds me of the kid who was always denied sugar at home which is the first thing they hunt for when they're out of their house.
With GH it could be caffeine too.