Pat Conroy

Author.  Donald Patrick Conroy was born into a military family and was heavily influenced by his military upbringing.  He was a graduate of The Citadel and his experiences there provided the basis of two of his works, “The Lords of Discipline” and “My Losing Season.”  After graduating from The Citadel, Conroy taught English in Beaufort, South Carolina.  He then accepted a teaching job in a one-room schoolhouse on Daufuskie Island, South Carolina.  He later wrote “The Water is Wide,” based on his experience there, which was made into a feature film, “Conrack.”  He published his first novel, “The Great Santini” in 1976 which was made into a movie and nominated for an Oscar.  In 1986, Conroy published “The Prince of Tides” which was made into a film in 1991 and also nominated for an Oscar.  In 2013, he published a memoir, “The Death of Santini” which recounted his relationship with his father.  Other works by Conroy included “The Boo,” “Beach Music,” “South of Broad,” and “My Reading Life.” (bio by: Red)  Family links:  Parents:  Donald Conroy (1921 – 1998)  Frances Margaret Peek Egan (1925 – 1984)  Sibling:  Pat Conroy (1945 – 2016)  Thomas Patrick Conroy (1960 – 1994)* *Calculated relationshipCause of death: Pancreatic cancer