The Armchair that went empty on March 4th 2016 is still empty, although great love is surrounding it and embracing Pat’s widow, writer Cassandra King Conroy, who feels the love of family, friends and Pat’s devoted readers like yourself, especially today.
I have been posting some thoughts and bits of news about our common passion for the irreplaceable prince of words for years now. You overwhelmingly responded to every one of them. We are enormously grateful for your loyalty and love for the Prince of Words. Yes, Pat loved words but he loved people more. I want to share a few simple words from Pat’s writing which may sound ordinary but they exemplify so much of who he was when he wrote “Words are pretty, but anyone can talk. Pay attention to those who perform.”
Pat Conroy recognized “people who perform” in his writings, in real life through his many deeds, and often in person. He “hosted” unforgettable characters in his writings and made most of them beautiful, witty and lovable, since despite his strong sense of right and wrong, he was not a hater. In fact, he did not have the smallest bone of hate in his body. Pat’s generosity included the entire world, and despite his tumultuous upbringing and troubled past, he made peace where he could before his departure. His model of hospitality and kindness is something we sorely need today.
So let’s lift a glass in memory of Pat and in his honor remember to hold our friends a little closer.
Pats writing hit a part of my heart that I can’t explain. I read his books over and over. South of Broad, Beach Music, The Great Santini and Prince of Tides are my absolute favorites. Thank you Pat for writing. You are so, so appreciated.
Dear Christena, you are not alone… count me, and lots and lots of others next to you, sharing your feelings. So proud of you and these readers keeping Pat Conroy legacy alive…!!
Hi my name is Daniel. I honestly just wanted to hello to Cassandra. I was lucky enough to take care you and Pat for several years at OTV in North Carolina as your server. Pat was always a joy to take care of. I happened to come across this website just by thinking of Pat and Cassandra. I remember how much of a gentleman he always was to his wife and everyone around him during the evenings I was lucky to serve you both.
Hi I just posted a comment because I was mailing an old smudged Southern Living article to a grieving girlfriend. The article was taken from the 2018 December issue, pages 116-117, of Southern Living magazine about married authors Pat Conroy and Cassandra King sharing Christmas at a barrier island in South Carolina. The article, with a foto of the couple smiling, hugging close, bare legs surrounded by shore water, is entitled Christmastide: The Unexpected Blessings of Gifts from the Sea on a Low Country Evening. Conroy had died 2 years earlier by the time the essay was published. The essay shows how ephemeral everything is in nature and relationships; some magical things are enjoyed only once and often alone. At the end of the article, there is mention of an upcoming memoir by Cassandra King entitled Tell Me a Story coming out in 2019. (This is before the Pandemic.) There is also a great biography of Pat Conroy coming out in 2023, I believe. Thanks.
Hi I was sending a lovely nostalgic article to a grieving friend which I found in Southern Living by Carlee about magically seeing live sand dollars on a sand bar at island marsh evening tide. My friend had just lost her life partner in Atlanta at age 91. I looked up Mr. Conroy’s bio. I remember not wanting to read his works for years due to family pain, or see the movies although I loved the actors, but was always so glad he wrote them. My siblings grew up near the Navy & Army bases in Puerto Rico. It was a paradise in the 1960s but living so close to military perfectionistic regimen changed our family mental health forever. My father worked at the International Airport. He became sexually, physically & verbally abusive in P.R. living amidst such beauty. Soon both parents drank & wore little clothing. My mother was docile & aloof & sexually abusive like my dad. So I know just what Mr Conroy was going through. I believe his experience was much worse, however. We children feel if we had never been near these bases none of this Hell would have happened. It seems family tensions and problems stemming back to the Depression and WWII became 10 times worse. We were a loving family in Philadelphia before Daddy accepted a promotion to San Juan and Isla Verde in 1960 near many military bases where we went to school. The schools were great but soon strange stresses mixed in with drinking almost cracked our family wide open. When we returned to Florida and Georgia our family began to heal but within 8 years my mother had died of breast cancer. We siblings have tried to heal all our lives from perfectionism and feel blessed that we have avoided suicide–narrowly–all of us. Thanks for letting me comment.
My first book was Beach Music and after that I have been reading each one I could get my hands on. Yesterday I started My Losing Season.
Pat is my #1 all time favorite author and I have been reading since I was 4 yrs old and now I found Pat in my 76th year.
The library in my small town has only Beach Music and my plan is to donate each of my books so there will be a complete collection.
Please allow me to join in raising my glass and to thank you for this page.
My first book was Beach Music and after that I have been reading each one I could get my hands on. Yesterday I started My Losing Season.
Pat is my #1 all time favorite author and I have been reading since I was 4 yrs old and now I found Pat in my 76th year.
The library in my small town has only Beach Music and my plan is to donate each of my books so there will be a complete collection.
Please allow me to join in raising my glass and to thank you for this page.
I have read every single thing Pat Conroy has written. He was in my es husband’s English class at the Citadel. I have been to a few reunions but Pat was not there for those. I was disappointed. I just wish we could have more Pat Conroy stories. Is there something else coming out maybe a book he was working on?
Ps: On my bucket list is still to visit Beaufort and all places Pat Conroy.
Patti. come and visit the Pat Conroy Literary Center. You will not be disappointed. There could be another Pat Conroy Story at some time…
I remember my first Pat Conroy book, Lords of Disipline 1986, having just married and moved to be with my new husband, a Coach at the Citadel. I had been to Charleston before and fell in love. The very first sentence in that book took me to exactly the location he was speaking of. If you couldn’t conjure a picture from his descriptions, you have no imagination ! I was hooked!! My favorite writer-bar none! I had a hard time reading anyone after Pat.
I was heart broken for his wife mostly, but also the world. Wish I could have known him personally.
Dear Anita, I’ll never get tired to say this over and over again: It is so lovely and comforting to see people like you posting words of love and appreciation for our Prince of Words PAT CONROY. Thank you.
I lift my glass to the memory of Pat. The writer of “The Prince of Tides” which brought a father and daughter closer. A book that I casually gave my father after relating to much of it, marshlands and all. After Dad read it, he asked me if I saw him as the father in the book, did I have similar memories? Afraid I would hurt him with my answer, I fibbed and said the second truth, “I thought the father character might have been like your father.” He said nothing which was everything. I found The Prince of Tides after my father’s death. It is the only book of his many inscribed ‘Please, return this book to me. ‘Dad’s signature ‘I liked it. ‘ I believe my father would lift a glass to Pat too.
In appreciation,
Carlee
Carlee, looking at these messages here makes me weep … everyone, of course, reminds me of Pat; I don’t get a break, emotionally so to speak but I know you all who write are in the same place with us all emotionally.
Pat sister Kathy Harvey follows these messages here and in the Guest Book. So does Cassandra Pat’s wife and Marly his long time friend for decades.
Thank you for writing and as Pat used to say “Much Love”
I still watch him everyday, he was such a great star. It was such a great loss, but I will keep watching him. This is one of my favorite shows, “Tombstone” I didn’t know he had passed until I looked him up on the internet. Made me so sad.
I can think of no greater legacy than to have been a model of kindness and peace.
Evelyn, again you. As the master said: “Much Love”
Here’s a glass to the long gray line, the ring, and all the beauty Pat shared with us.
Mike, sorry for missing this… it is so poetic… Yes, I’ll share in that glass… make it two,
Thank you.