Pat Conroy, American author (d. 2016)

Donald Patrick Conroy (October 26, 1945 – March 4, 2016) was an American author who wrote several acclaimed novels and memoirs; his books The Water is Wide, The Lords of Discipline, The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini were made into films, the latter two being Oscar nominated. He is recognized as a leading figure of late-20th century Southern literature.