Finding Love Again
- Actor Patrick Duffy lost his wife to cancer eight years ago, but found love with Linda Purl from “Happy Days” years later—and duo have been going strong and recently took a trip to Washington, D.C.
- Duffy’s late wife Carlyn Rosser, who he married in 1974, passed away in January 2017 after a battle with cancer at 77. The couple had two sons together.
- Grief is a difficult, truly personal process, something Duffy has shown. Some find solace in vulnerability and sharing how they feel with others.
- While working through grief and vulnerable tackling of the emotions that accompany it, some find tools like therapy to be helpful. Support groups can also be a benefit for those who are feeling isolated in their feelings of grief. Faith can also be a powerful coping mechanism for some.
- Whichever methods of support you look for after cancer loss, you should know that there is no correct way to grieve. There is no perfect timeline for grieving, either.
We’re delighted to see both Duffy and Purl’s relationship goes strong, as they continue to explore the world and took to social media this week to show off their fun-filled trip to the United States Capitol.
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“Powerful words indeed.”
In another video clip she shared, the adorable couple are seen as passengers in a car, on a beautiful sunny day, explaining, “So we had a few days and we found out way to Washington, D.C.
“And we came really to restore out love for the country. So, we’ve got a few posts along the way.”
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It’s truly heartwarming to see them doing well, something fans weren’t hesitant to express, with one commenting, “What a beautiful couple you 2 make! I’ve always loved both of your acting skills.”
Another commented, “I so enjoy your happiness. Thank you for making me smile.”
While a third said, “Sending love to both of you. Safe journey. God bless you, and God Bless America!”
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Purl also shared a video of her and Duffy standing alongside the statue of Abraham Lincoln.
She captioned the post, with a quote from the late president’s Gettysburg Address, which goes, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty …
“And dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
One fan, commented, “How wonderful you continue to share your journey with us it is so emotional love to both of you from New York.”
Another said, “I am so happy you two found each other. I really enjoy your pictures too!!”
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Finding Love After Loss: Patrick Duffy’s Story
Duffy shared a long and happy life with his wife Carlyn Rosser, who he wedding 1974. Rosser tragically passed away in January 2017 after a battle with cancer at 77. The couple had two sons together and a beautiful love story.
The heartbroken actor previously opened up to Closer Weekly, saying that he knew it was forever from the time they met. He said, “I was an immature college graduate touring as narrator with this dance production, and she was a beautiful ballerina 10 years older. We met on the tour bus and that was, for life.”
After his wife’s passing, Duffy was candid about how the loss affected him, telling Closer, “I know what she would expect of me, and I try and live up to that. I feel close to her all the time, [but] what I miss most is her touch.”
“I still consider myself a married man,” Duffy said in 2019, showing us how grieving is an ongoing process, and that it’s good to be patient with yourself as you process your grief after losing a loved one to cancer.
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Despite the pain Duffy experienced, he and Purl were brought together in 2020. The two were old friends, and their mutual pals initiated a group text prompting everyone to stay connected during the pandemic.
The group chat led the now-loving duo to reconnect, and shortly after they were chatting just the two of them.
When Duffy felt that he and Purl had more than a friendly connection, he drove to visit the “Happy Days” star, where they quarantined together. “I loaded up my car and drove 20 hours and ended up on her doorstep just to see if it was real. We haven’t been apart since,” he previously recounted to People magazine.
Expert Resources On Coping With Loss
- Dealing With Grief Related to Health Problems
- Mental Health and Cancer — The Fight, Flight or Freeze Response
- Mental Health: Understanding the Three Wellsprings of Vitality
- How to Be Realistically Optimistic: Coping With Mental Health Long-Term
- How to Handle the Emotional Toll of Caring for a Loved One With Cancer: Prioritizing Your Mental Health
Duffy explained, “I never thought I’d feel this way again,” noting that he thinks his wife would be happy for him.
“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.”
Moving Through Grief
Grief is a difficult, truly personal process, something Duffy has shown. Some find solace in vulnerability and sharing how they feel with others.
Following his wife’s death, Duffy took to Twitter to say: “On this day 6 months ago my heart stopped yet I live on as she wishes We will be together eternally.”
‘Therapy Saved My Life’: After Losing A Loved One, Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
While working through grief and vulnerable tackling of the emotions that accompany it, some find tools like therapy to be helpful. Support groups can also be a benefit for those who are feeling isolated in their feelings of grief. Faith can also be a powerful coping mechanism for some; Duffy previously spoke about how his Buddhist faith helped him deal with his feelings of loss.
Whichever methods of support you look for after cancer loss, you should know that there is no correct way to grieve. There is no perfect timeline for grieving, either.
Dealing With Grief Related to Health Problems
Surviving the Loss of a Partner
Fighting your own cancer battle is one of the toughest experiences in life; watching the disease take someone you love is a different kind of pain. In some cases, a spouse with cancer can take proactive steps to talk about what might come after.
“She wanted to make sure that I knew that it was OK, she really wanted me to have another relationship after she was gone,” one widower told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
Meanwhile, John Duberstein lost his wife, writer Nina Riggs, to metastatic triple negative breast cancer. He says that while he was watching her suffer from the disease, he couldn’t help but wish things could go back to normal, but Riggs had already embraced her new normal.
RELATED: The Toughest Conversations: Losing a Spouse to Cancer
“I really wanted things to go back to normal, whatever that meant,” Duberstein told SurvivorNet. “She was not for that. She wanted to embrace the existence that she had, even before she knew she was going to die imminently. I did not want to talk about what was going to happen with me after Nina died. Nina is the one that really brought it up, she brought it up a number of times.”
Dating After Cancer; Getting Intimate with the New You
Duberstein explained that even with the pain of losing his wife, and even though he didn’t want to talk about it at the time, he’s so glad they had those seemingly uncomfortable conversations. “In retrospect, I can’t even explain how glad I am that I had that.”
This is a reminder that having those uncomfortable and painful conversations with your partner can be fundamental to your well-being as you move forward in the grieving process, alleviating the guilt felt in starting to date again, and/or eventually marry.
‘Adversity And The Art of Happiness:’ How Hardship Makes You Even Stronger
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
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