{"id":1869,"date":"2024-12-06T07:25:37","date_gmt":"2024-12-06T07:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/?p=1869"},"modified":"2024-12-06T07:25:39","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T07:25:39","slug":"patrick-duffy-after-losing-his-wife-of-43-years-didnt-think-he-could-move-on-but-found-love-again-at-71","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/archives\/1869","title":{"rendered":"Patrick Duffy, After Losing His Wife of 43 Years, Didn’t Think He Could Move On but Found Love Again at 71"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Patrick\n\n
Patrick Duffy\n
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Patrick Duffy’s world crumbled when his wife of over four decades unexpectedly passed away in 2017. For years, the actor thought he’d never recover from the heartbreak. Yet, in his seventies, he found love again when he least expected it.\n\n

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For decades, Patrick Duffy and his wife shared a love story that became the centerpiece of his life. Married for 43 years, they built a family and a deep spiritual connection that shaped him. When she died, he grappled with profound loss and spent years embracing life as a widower.\n\n

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\"Patrick\n\n

Patrick Duffy posing for a portrait in 1990 in Los Angeles, California.\n\n\n

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But an unexpected reconnection led Duffy to discover that love could be rekindled in the unlikeliest of circumstances. Take a look at his enduring love story with his first wife and how he found happiness again years after her passing.\n\n

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\"Patrick\n\n

Patrick Duffy at the “Nymphes D’Or – Golden Nymphs” Nominees Party during the 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival on June 19, 2023, in Monaco.\n\n\n

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A Love That Stood the Test of Time\n\n
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Duffy’s life changed forever when he met his\u00a0wife\u00a0Carlyn Rosser during his senior year of college. Rosser, a ballet dancer with the First Chamber Dance Company of New York, was a decade older than Duffy. Yet their age difference didn’t deter a connection that spanned 43 years of marriage.\n\n

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\"Patrick\n\n

Patrick Duffy and Carlyn Rosser photographed at California State University on May 22, 1977.\n\n\n

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Speaking about their first meeting, Duffy\u00a0recalled, “I was an immature college graduate touring as [a] narrator with this dance production, and she was a beautiful ballerina 10 years older. We met on the tour bus, and that was it \u2014 for life.”\n\n

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The couple married in 1974 in a Buddhist temple, a faith Rosser introduced to Duffy and became a cornerstone of their relationship. That same year, they welcomed their\u00a0first son, Padraic.\n\n

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\"Patrick\n\n

Patrick Duffy and Carlyn Rosser in New York on November 1, 1979.\n\n\n

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Early in their marriage, the couple moved to New York, where Duffy pursued acting, appearing in Off-Broadway productions while working as a carpenter to support Rosser and their growing family.\n\n

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His acting\u00a0career\u00a0began to take off in the late 1970s. After a stint working as a house painter, he landed the role of Mark Harris in the TV series “Man from Atlantis.” In 1978, he secured his most iconic role, Bobby Ewing, on “Dallas.”\n\n

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\"Patrick\n\n

Patrick Duffy and Carlyn Rosser spotted at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 31, 1985.\n\n\n

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Around the same time, Duffy and Rosser welcomed their\u00a0second son, Conor. Then, their bond was tested in 1986 when the actor’s parents were tragically murdered during a robbery at their tavern in Boulder, Montana.\n\n

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\"Patrick\n\n

Patrick Duffy and Carlyn Rosser circa 1992 in Beverly Hills, California.\n\n\n

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The horrifying event shook Duffy to his core, but he leaned on Rosser and his Buddhist faith to endure the pain. “When my parents were murdered, I went through all the emotions of the horrific event \u2014 shock and anger and everything \u2014 but I never felt disconnected from [my parents],” Duffy later\u00a0shared.\n\n

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\"Carlyn\n\n

Carlyn Rosser and Patrick Duffy at the Third Annual Environmental Media Awards on September 27, 1993, in Century City, California.\n\n\n

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He credited Buddhism with helping him process the tragedy. Rosser was also Duffy’s anchor during this time. However, in 2017, he faced an unimaginable loss when Rosser passed away at 77. Her death came as a shock to the family, and Duffy admitted he struggled to adjust.\n\n

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\"Carlyn\n\n

Carlyn Rosser and Patrick Duffy circa 1994.\n\n\n

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Reflecting on their relationship, he\u00a0said, “My wife and I, in 48 years, we were always together.” He also noted, “It was a surprise when she passed. There was no indication. So that was the big adjustment.”\n\n

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Six months after her death, Duffy took to X, formerly Twitter, and\u00a0wrote, “On this day 6 months ago my heart stopped, yet I live on as she wishes. We will be together eternally. Thank you for the love and concern.”\n\n

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\"Patrick\n\n

Patrick Duffy and Carlyn Rosser at the National Conference of Christians & Jews’ 32nd Annual Entertainment Industry Humanitarian Award Salute to Robert Iger on November 9, 1995, in Beverly Hills, California.\n\n\n

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The actor leaned heavily on his sons for support, though he often felt it was his role to help them process their grief,\u00a0saying, “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”\n\n

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\"Carlyn\n\n

Carlyn Rosser and Patrick Duffy circa 2002.\n\n\n

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Despite his heartache, Duffy found solace in the memories he shared with Rosser. “I feel close to her all the time,” he\u00a0said. “[…] What I miss most is her touch.” He also expressed a deep sense of gratitude for their time together,\u00a0saying, “I have worked hard to make the best of life, and it’s been good to me.”\n\n

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\"Carlyn\n\n

Carlyn Rosser and Patrick Duffy at the Monte Carlo Television Festival in 2002.\n\n\n

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By 2019, Duffy had come to terms with life as a widower, though he admitted he still considered himself a married man. “I can hear her. I can see her. I know what she would expect of me, and I try and live up to that,” he\u00a0shared.\n\n

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For Duffy, the loss of Rosser was profound, but her memory continued to guide him. Her impact on his life, both personally and spiritually, remained a source of strength as he moved forward with each passing day \u2014 until the expected happened.\n\n

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\"Patrick\n\n

Patrick Duffy and Carlyn Rosser at the closing ceremony of the 55th Monte-Carlo Television Festival on June 18, 2015, in Monaco.\n\n\n

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A Love Rediscovered in an Unexpected Chapter\n\n
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Duffy never imagined he’d fall in love again after the devastating loss of his wife. Yet, as life often proves, the most beautiful moments can arise when least expected. At 71, he found a second chance at happiness with\u00a0actress\u00a0Linda Purl,\u00a0a romance\u00a0that began during the quiet days of the pandemic.\n\n

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\"Patrick\n\n

Patrick Duffy and Linda Purl at the 90th Anniversary of the Hollywood Christmas Parade supporting Marine Toys For Tots on November 27, 2022, in California.\n\n\n

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Years prior, Duffy and Purl had been casual friends, but they lost touch over time. Their reconnection happened serendipitously through a group text chain with a mutual friend. As weeks passed, the conversations gradually dwindled until only Duffy and Purl remained.\n\n

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\"Linda\n\n

Linda Purl and Patrick Duffy at the TV Series Party during the 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival on June 17, 2023, in Monaco.\n\n\n

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What began as simple chats soon deepened into hours-long Zoom calls each night. “We Zoomed every single night for at least two to three hours,” Duffy\u00a0shared. “We explored all our history, our past, our loves. We listened to music together and covered all that ground you normally cover over months of dating.”\n\n

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\"Linda\n\n

Linda Purl and Patrick Duffy at the “Nymphes D’Or – Golden Nymphs” Award Ceremony during the 62nd Monte Carlo TV Festival on June 20, 2023, in Monaco.\n\n\n

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Once their connection felt undeniable, he decided to meet Purl in person. “I loaded up my car and drove 20 hours and ended up on her doorstep just to see if it was real,” he\u00a0revealed. From that moment, the two were inseparable.\n\n

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Purl referred to\u00a0their journey\u00a0as “a very Victorian process” since they took their time building a bond before their relationship turned romantic. Duffy, in turn, expressed his surprise at finding love again. “I never thought for a minute this would happen again,” he\u00a0said. “I never thought I’d feel this way again.”\n\n

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Their connection proved so natural that they brought it to their professional lives. In 2021, the couple played a married pair in a television movie. For Duffy, the experience was unlike anything he’d ever known in his career.\n\n

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“It’s the first time in my entire career that I got up in the morning with my costar and then walked to the set holding hands,” he\u00a0said. “The chemistry works, offstage and on. And always being together and not being afraid to show affection was so enjoyable.”\n\n

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Their relationship reflected a sense of maturity and purpose, different from youthful romances. “You get to a point where you think, ‘It’s all about her. How do I get her to smile?'” Duffy\u00a0said. “We’ve eliminated all the trial and errors that happen in [younger] relationships. It’s all positive and lovely.”\n\n

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For Purl, their love story carried a message of hope. “Life is full of surprises, both good and bad. Patrick and I weren’t looking for this. We didn’t expect it or see it coming when our paths crossed. Don’t ever give up,” she\u00a0shared.\n\n

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Duffy believes his late wife would have supported his newfound happiness,\u00a0saying, “I feel, quite honestly, that it is keeping with the desires of my wife, the fact that we are intended to be happy. So when it’s offered, think about it, do whatever you do, but don’t let it pass you up if it’s the right thing.”\n\n

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In November, the actress took to Instagram and shared a sweet snap of her and Duffy wearing smiles as they enjoyed their travels in Italy.\n\n

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“Gorgeous Couple\u2665\ufe0f,”\u00a0one social media user\u00a0commented\u00a0on the photo. Another\u00a0shared,\u00a0“\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0fsuch cuties,”\u00a0and a third\u00a0typed,\u00a0“Beautiful couple \u2764\ufe0f.”\u00a0A fourth person\u00a0wrote, “You’re a good looking couple. God bless! \u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f.”\n\n

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Patrick Duffy’s\u00a0journey serves as a testament that love can endure and begin anew. After decades with Rosser, her memory remains a part of him, even as he found happiness with\u00a0Linda Purl.\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Patrick Duffy Patrick Duffy’s world crumbled when his wife of over four decades unexpectedly passed away in 2017. For years, the actor thought he’d never recover from the heartbreak. Yet, in his seventies, he found love again when he least expected it. For decades, Patrick Duffy and his wife shared a love story that became […]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1870,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1869"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1871,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1869\/revisions\/1871"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}