I heard a story that he died with a Bible on his chest. Other interesting tidbits: during the Bullitt car chase, the Mustang downshifts like 17 times. He worked on ships removing asbestos, which he believes (probably true) that's what caused his mesothelioma. He did have a "rivalry" with Paul Newman. Both were A-list stars and when they did the credits for "Towering Inferno" one was listed first, but LOWER than the second (It looks kind of strange). And he was a true rarity, a Hollywood conservative, a gentleman and a patriot.
My favorite films are "The Hunter" (Not liked by many people, though) and "Papillon".