Betsy Arakawa
Betsy Arakawa | |
|---|---|
Arakawa playing the piano as an 11-year old, 1971 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Betsy Machiko Arakawa |
| Born | December 15, 1959 Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Died | c. February 12, 2025 (aged 65) Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Genres | Classical |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Spouse | |
Betsy Machiko Arakawa Hackman (December 15, 1959 – c. February 12, 2025) was an American classical pianist and businesswoman. Born in Hawaii, she performed alongside the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra aged eleven and later worked for the television game show Card Sharks as a production assistant. She met Gene Hackman in the 1980s, marrying him in 1991 and assisting with his novels. In 2001, she co-founded a linens and home furnishings store in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she and Hackman lived; the couple were also business partners in a local Asian restaurant.
Arakawa was found dead along with her husband at their home in Santa Fe on February 26, 2025. This led to an investigation, which showed that she died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome around February 12, about a week before Hackman.