Couples
Patrick Duffy Still Considers Himself a ‘Married Man’ Nearly 3 Years After Wife Carlyn’s Death
When Patrick Duffy lost his wife of 43 years, Carlyn Rosser, in 2017, his life came crashing down. She died at age 77 and left him and their two sons — Padraic, 45, and Conor, 39.
“I can hear her. I can see her,” the 70-year-old Dallas actor exclusively revealed to Closer Weekly in the magazine’s latest issue, on newsstands now, at the It’s a Wonderful Lifetime holiday party on October 22. “I know what she would expect of me, and I try and live up to that.”
Even though Carlyn passed away two years ago, Patrick is still not over her death and he doesn’t think he’ll ever be ready to move on. “I feel close to her all the time [but] what I miss most is her touch,” he confided. “I still consider myself a married man.”
Patrick and Carlyn’s love story was one for the books. After the young actor locked eyes with his beloved for the first time, the rest was history. “I was an immature college graduate touring as narrator with this dance production, and she was a beautiful ballerina 10 years older,” he recalled. “We met on the tour bus and that was it — for life.”
The two shared such a special bond that they couldn’t imagine themselves ever dating anyone else. For Patrick and Carlyn, they were more than enough so, when the pro ballerina passed away, he had no clue how to build himself back up.
“It was a surprise when she passed. There was no indication. So that was the big adjustment,” he admitted. “My boys were there as stalwarts. But I also realized that, as much as they were trying to buttress old Dad up, I’m probably more adjusted to this set of circumstances than they are. You reach a certain age and you realize the road ahead is much shorter than the road behind.”
However, Patrick continues to move forward and, with every day that passes, he insists he has no regrets. “There are no mistakes in life. I can mend every fence I’ve broken and create value out of everything I’ve done if I’m given enough time,” he said. “I have done and I still am doing OK. I have worked hard to make the best of life, and it’s been good to me.”
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