Pat Conroy, the South Carolina author of bestsellers including “The Prince of Tides,” “The Great Santini” and “The Lords of Discipline,” died Friday in Beaufort, S.C. He was 70 and had been battling pancreatic cancer, Variety reports.
Conroy was known for his family novels and memoirs that were often based on his life and featured a lush, florid writing style.
Conroy’s wife, novelist Cassandra Conroy, said in a statement, “The water is wide and he has now passed over.”
“The Prince of Tides” was adapted as a 1986 film starring Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand. “The Great Santini,” which was made into a film starring Robert Duvall, was drawn from Conroy’s experiences as the oldest of seven children of an abusive Marine Corps colonel.
The 1980 adaptation of “The Lords of Discipline” was also inspired by his life, as a cadet at the Citadel military academy.
His other books included “My Losing Season,” “Beach Music” and “South of Broad.”
Born in Atlanta, Conroy taught school on an island off the South Carolina coast, and based one of his first books “The Water is Wide” on his experiences teaching students who spoke the Gullah dialect. It was adapted as the Jon Voight film “Conrack.” His 2013 memoir “The Death of Santini” delved further into the story of his father.
He is survived by his wife, two daughters, two sisters, three brothers and seven grandchildren.
