Peck with his wife, Veronique

Peck had a brief affair with his Spellbound co-star, Ingrid Bergman, during his first marriage. In a 1987 interview with Brad Darrach of People, he admitted to the affair, saying: "All I can say is that I adored her, and I believe that's where I should end it... I was a young man at the time. She was a young woman. We had been working closely and intensively for weeks."

On New Year's Eve in 1955, the day after his divorce was formalized, Gregory Peck married Véronique Passani, a Paris news reporter who had interviewed him in 1952 before he flew to Italy to film Roman Holiday. Six months later, he invited her to lunch, and the two became inseparable. Anthony Peck and Cecilia Peck were their children. Until Gregory Peck's death, the couple remained married. Anthony, his son, is the ex-husband of supermodel Cheryl Tiegs. Both of Gregory Peck's marriages resulted in grandchildren; actor Ethan Peck is one of his grandsons from his first marriage. Gregory Peck was also a thoroughbred steeplechase racehorse owner. His horse, Owen's Sedge, came in seventh place in the Grand National in 1963, and another of his horses competed in the 1968 Grand National, where it was the favorite but came in third.

Peck was a devout Roman Catholic who explored becoming a priest. When questioned by a journalist later in his career about his religious practices, Peck replied: "I'm a devout Roman Catholic. I'm not a die-hard fan, but I put in enough effort to keep the faith alive. I am not always in agreement with Pope Francis. Several topics concern me, including abortion, contraception, women's ordination, and others." Because the Church forbids remarriage if a previous spouse is still alive and the first marriage was not annulled, his second marriage was performed by a justice of the peace rather than a priest. Peck was a major fund-raiser for the missionary work of a priest friend (Father Albert O'Hara), and he and his son Stephen co-produced a tape recording of the New Testament.

Death and Legacy

Peck died in his sleep from bronchopneumonia on June 12, 2003, at the age of 87, at his home in Los Angeles. His wife, Veronique, was by his side.

Gregory Peck is buried in the mausoleum at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. Brock Peters, whose character, Tom Robinson, was defended by Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, read his eulogy. Celebrities who attended Peck's funeral included Lauren Bacall, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Shari Belafonte, Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Mike Farrell, Shelley Fabares, Jimmy Smits, Louis Jourdan, Dyan Cannon, Stephanie Zimbalist, Michael York, Angie Dickinson, Larry Gelbart, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Louise Fletcher, Tony Danza, and Piper Laurie.

The Peck family established the Gregory Peck Award for Cinematic Excellence in 2008 to celebrate a director, producer, or actor's life's work in memory of their father. It was first presented at the Dingle International Film Festival in his ancestral birthplace of Dingle, Ireland, and has been presented at the San Diego International Film Festival in his hometown since 2014. Gabriel Byrne, Laura Dern, Alan Arkin, Annette Bening, Patrick Stewart, and Laurence Fishburne are among the honorees.