Editing Bette Davis (section)

== Death and will ==
[[File:Bette Davis Tomb.JPG|thumb|upright|Davis's crypt at [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park]] in Los Angeles]]
Davis collapsed during the American Cinema Awards in 1989 and later discovered that her cancer had returned. She recovered sufficiently to travel to Spain, where she was honored at the [[San Sebastián International Film Festival]], but during her visit, her health rapidly deteriorated. Too weak to make the long journey back to the U.S., she traveled to France, where she died of [[metastasized]] breast cancer on October 6, 1989, at the [[American Hospital of Paris|American Hospital]] in [[Neuilly-sur-Seine]]. Davis was 81 years old. A memorial tribute was held by invitation only at Burbank Studio's stage 18 where a work light was turned on signaling the end of production.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-04-ca-345-story.html|title=A Simple Tribute to Screen Legend Bette Davis on Stage 18 : Movies: Friends gather at Burbank Studios to honor stormy actress who "reveled" in her stardom|last=Thomas|first=Kevin|date=November 4, 1989|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=March 11, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}</ref>

A private funeral was held on October 12, 1989, held at First Christian Church of North Hollywood.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1989-10-12 |title=Bette Davis buried in private ceremony |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1989/10/12/Bette-Davis-buried-in-private-ceremony/8280624168000/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=[[UPI]] |language=en}}</ref> Following the funeral, she was entombed in the Davis family sarcophagus at [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)|Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills Cemetery]] in Los Angeles, alongside her mother Ruthie and sister Bobby, with her name in larger letters. On her tombstone is written: "She did it the hard way", an epitaph that she mentioned in her memoir ''Mother Goddam'' as having been suggested to her by Joseph L. Mankiewicz shortly after they had filmed ''All About Eve''.<ref name="goddamprologueIX">Stine (1974), prologue ix</ref>

Her estate was valued between $600,000 and $1,000,000 at the time of her death. She left about half of the estate to her adopted son, Michael Merrill, and the other half to her assistant and close friend, Kathryn Sermack. Her adopted daughter Margot Merrill and daughter B. D. Hyman (along with Hyman's two sons) were excluded from her will. Davis and Hyman had been estranged ever since the latter published ''My Mother's Keeper'' in 1985.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1989-11-07 |title=Bette Davis Estate Near $1 Million; 2 Daughters, Grandsons Left Out |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-07-mn-913-story.html#:~:text=Bette%20Davis%20Estate%20Near%20$1,Left%20Out%20-%20Los%20Angeles%20Times |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Margot died in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MARGOT MERRILL Obituary (2022) - Brookline, MA - Boston Globe |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/margot-merrill-obituary?id=34825083 |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=Legacy.com}}</ref>