Breaking: Classic movie star and BCHS alum Eva Marie Saint passes away at 102 — her life, legacy, and hometown stories
Photos provided by Bethlehem Central High School, the Bethlehem Historical Association and Town Historian
"In any era, no matter how high her star rose, Eva Marie Saint never forgot her years in Bethlehem and spoke of them with great joy and affection.”
“Tell me, how does a girl like you get to be a girl like you?” Cary Grant asks the effervescent blonde in his arms. Her ruby necklace glitters in the lights, her eyes sparkle, and her voice is low and smooth. Gazing up at him, she is seductive and impassive, yet privately tormented by mysterious forces.
“Lucky, I guess,” smiles Eva Marie Saint, effortlessly cool.
1959’s North by Northwest permanently cemented Eva Marie Saint as an icon in the minds of moviegoers, if they weren’t already convinced by her riveting, Academy Award-winning portrayal of morality living amongst evil in 1954’s On the Waterfront. With one of the most famous debuts in the history of film, Saint became a movie star and lived as a symbol of the Golden Age of Hollywood: a household name, a fashion plate, and a figure respected by critics and audiences alike. She even has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to honor her achievements in both film and television.
Yet Saint never absorbed herself into Hollywood. They latched onto her, but she stayed remarkably grounded. Married to her beloved husband, director Jeffrey Hayden, until his death in 2016, Saint was routinely described by those around her as having the elusive qualities of realness, authenticity — a star who treated acting as a job and prioritized her family. To account for her balanced approach, she was always quick to credit her childhood in Delmar, New York.
On October 6, 2026, Saint passed away at 102, leaving behind a striking legacy. In 2023, Saint generously provided comments about where it all began for my Spotlight News article, Eva Marie Saint, the Academy Award-winning actress, started her path to fame here. Her observations were a unique look at her girlhood and what made Bethlehem a special place to be raised.
Born in New Jersey, her family moved to Delmar, New York, in her youth. She said that she “couldn’t have had a more productive experience” during her childhood in Delmar: there was simply so much to do.
Saint was always busy, attending school dances or hanging out with her fellow classmates at landmarks that are still familiar to residents today, such as the Four Corners. At the drug store, with seats at the counter, she had sundaes after school.
She loved Bethlehem Central High School (BCHS), calling her teachers “incredible” and saying that she had a “wonderful time.” Saint, a social girl with the nickname Bubbles, joined numerous clubs, including orchestra, basketball, color guard, student council, and cheerleading. She could still recite the cheer years later. In recognition of her many outstanding achievements, Saint was inducted as a notable alumna of BCHS.
Saint’s mother, who was excellent with a sewing needle, would make her dresses. In a 2014 interview for Turner Classic Movies, Saint remarked how she and her sister Adelaide were “the best-dressed girls in high school.”
“What we know of Eva Marie Saint, the student, comes from yearbooks that show a very active high schooler who enjoyed participating in lots of clubs and activities. The BC Class of 1942 voted her the girl with the most 'charm' during senior year," says Superintendent Jody Monroe. “It's certainly nice to read that she maintained warm memories of Bethlehem throughout her extraordinary life.”
Beyond school and friends, Saint loved to be outdoors. Like for so many people, the Hudson Valley’s golden, lush majesty cast a spell over her; she would sit quietly by the side of the Normans Kill Creek and watch the fish dart around under the water’s clear reflection. Her mother would pack picnic dinners to take to Thacher Park, where she, Adelaide, and her father would play baseball together. Those formative years together sparked a lifelong love of the game.
Most of all, she loved the change of seasons, which she missed in California. Afternoons spent ice skating, glowing autumnal colors, cold nights, and dewy mornings. “The seasons had a way of marking time,” she wisely observed.
Saint turned her attention towards the stage in college, studying acting at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She began work as an NBC page, struggling to make ends meet through minor roles. Her first television appearance was as a cheerleader in a Keds commercial, where she used the BCHS cheer.
In 1955, Saint was nominated for her first Emmy for Middle of the Night, earning another Emmy nomination for the 1955 television adaptation of Our Town. Meanwhile, Hollywood had already taken notice of her, and by 1954, she made her feature film debut in On the Waterfront, winning a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her very first major role.
Saint was nine months pregnant when she took to the stage to accept her Academy Award, having her baby just two days later. Donned in a structured maternity jacket and a slim-cut pencil skirt, she looked at the statuette in her hands, kissed it, and laughed, “I may have the baby right here!”
Overnight, Saint was a sensation, finally appreciated after years of scraping together bit parts. Saint’s career flourished, garnering numerous film, theater, and television credits, such as Raintree County, A Hatful of Rain, That Certain Feeling, 36 Hours, Grand Prix, The Sandpiper, Superman Returns, A Winter’s Tale, Taxi!!!, Moonlighting, The Love Boat, Frasier, and more.
Saint is revered by critics and audiences alike. Praised for the complexities that she brought to ‘good girl’ roles and the nuance in her morally dubious characters, Saint always found the balance between glamour and gritty realism. Her apparent delicacy in On the Waterfront is a masterful performance of restraint, as Marlon Brando’s tough guy prizefighter collapses under the weight of her quiet, righteous stare.
“I think we are proudest because despite temptations that must have come with Hollywood stardom, Eva held fast to her principles and remained the same lovely, gracious person throughout her very long life,” says Karen Beck, Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Bethlehem Historical Association. “She reportedly remained in touch with her Bethlehem High School classmates for many years and faithfully sent a note at reunion time.”
Saint was also an active philanthropist, working with the Epilepsy Foundation and the Los Angeles-based Wonder of Reading program. She also established with her husband the Saint-Hayden Humanitas Award.
"In any era, no matter how high her star rose, Eva Marie Saint never forgot her years in Bethlehem and spoke of them with great joy and affection,” says Bethlehem Town Historian Bill Ketzer. “She could recite the words to the school cheer verbatim, recall the names of Bethlehem classmates, and always shared memories of the woods behind her home on Euclid Avenue. May we all share that fondness for home, and may Ms. Saint rest in peace after a remarkable life."
In that 2023 interview, Saint described living in Delmar as like being in a “big family.” Feeling reflective in the luminous California sunshine, thousands of miles from her hometown, it was important to her that the conversation end on this note.
Saint’s life was full of travel, exciting people, and new experiences. Yet, no matter how much time passed, she still warmly remembered her ‘big family’ from Delmar. As the world pays tribute to the actress, philanthropist, and woman that she was, we too will always fondly remember and honor the extraordinary Eva Marie Saint.
