Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa described as the ‘tightest couple’ by pals after their deaths

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO: Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa, who were found dead on February 26, have reportedly been described as “real life partners” by their longtime friends and neighbors in their Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Daniel and Barbara Lenihan along with their son Aaron had known the late couple for years and their dead bodies found in unexpected circumstances, have left them “shocked”, as reported by PEOPLE.

Hackman was 95, so people close to him were "prepared" for his death but his much younger wife’s demise was not something their friends expected.

Betsy Arakawa remembered for being ‘full of life’

Barbara Lenihan, 75, said of the Oscar winner actor, “He was getting quite old. We were trying to prepare ourselves for Gene's demise.”

However, the tragic incident has left them “stunned.” Regarding Arakawa, the neighbor declared, “She was so full of life.”

Also, the 38-year-old Aaron shared, “They were one of the tightest couples I've seen. They seemed like real-life partners, really, really close to each other, and they were both incredibly kind.”

“They were always doing stuff for other people,” he added.

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were ‘very kind people’

Aaron Lenihan’s mother called the Hollywood icon “the Renaissance man” while deeming his wife “as sharp as he was,” and noted that the pair were “very kind people.”

“They got along very well. And we saw them in all kinds of circumstances, and Betsy's really been great to him over the years, and he has too. As he aged… she was concerned about Covid, so he did not go out much,” she mentioned.

Aaron told PEOPLE that Arakawa “was very protective of him [Hackman] in terms of Covid, so she'd always wear a mask when we'd see her out. But she was still trying to keep him as active and engaged and healthy as possible.”

“We loved them both very much, and we're heartbroken about it… their relationship was fantastic,” he asserted.

Gene Hackman will be missed ‘sorely’ by his children

Gene Hackman has three children from his previous marriage to Faye Maltese: Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie. The former couple were married from 1956 to 1986. Maltese died in 2017.

Elizabeth and Leslie — and his granddaughter Annie — issued a statement after the tragedy. They said, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman, and his wife. He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us, he was always just Dad and Grandpa.”

“We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss,” the statement read.