Twitter photo - posted by Maureen Nolan
The classic film blogging community is mourning the loss of Patricia Nolan-Hall, known as Paddy, known as The Caftan Woman.
She was a lady of intelligence, keen humor, and enormous generosity. I’ve posted before on this wonderful person here and also here, and her kind and insightful comments to my posts are peppered throughout this blog, but to really appreciate her knowledge of classic film and television, you need to read her blog here.
My deepest condolences to her family and friends, most especially to her beloved children and husband whom she shared with us; but also, to the classic film bloggers who loved her, and for whom as well this is a heartbreaking loss.
It would be fitting to hold an annual blogathon in her name, since she participated in so many and was such a faithful and supportive commenter on other’s blog posts.
I loved her, and one of my wishes in life was to one day meet her in person. I will think of her all my days and with every old movie I sit down to watch, wondering what she might have thought of it. We are lucky that she left a written record of so many. It is a testament to her noble spirit that so many in our classic film blogging community who never met her will miss her so much. I hope that tribute of their love and respect for her might be of some small comfort to her family.
May angels guide her to her rightful place in heaven, now that her valiant struggle is over. She was, as her father might say, “a dandy.”
13 comments:
Indeed, Paddy was very special. I love the idea of an blogathon in her honor.
I think the outpouring of sorrow and love for her on the Internet is a tremendous tribute, and an annual blogathon would be a venue for us to continue that tribute in a way that would have appealed to her deep interest and knowledge of classic films.
She was, as The Great One himself would say, a dan-dan-dandy!
Indeed. I'm sure she had no idea how beloved she was.
On both Twitter and Facebook there is such an outpouring of love for Paddy. That's no surprise, as she was a very special lady. I think a blogathon in her honour is a great idea. She was signed up for next week's Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon at my blog, and I will dedicate this year's blogsthon in her memory.
That's a nice gesture, Terence. I think she really enjoyed your blogathon.
Paddy was so ever present and active in our world that it seems almost inconceivable that she's gone. This is a hard one, very hard. She was always so interested and positive and encouraging that I (and likely most) didn't imagine she had health issues until she posted that she was to have a kidney transplant last year.
She was a "Dandy" alright, a "Dan-dan-dandy," indeed, and so deserving of your loving tribute Jacqueline. A blogathon in her honor is a wonderful idea. Let's do it.
I'm among the people who never met her, but felt like I had. Lovely remembrance.
Patricia, I agree it's hard to accept she won't reply to our next posts. She had suffered various health issues for many, many years, but had a courage that people in ill health need to have to rise above it.
When there was little response from her on the Internet for the past month, I suppose many of us had an unexpressed dread over her silence. Still, the news that came was a gut punch.
Will, she truly had a gift for empathy that made all feel she was a friend.
I hope a blogathon can be arranged.
Blogging feels different now, with Paddy gone. I didn't realize how much I looked forward to her comments as well as seeing which movies she'd be writing about. She was so knowledgeable, yet so encouraging. She never lorded her considerable knowledge over others.
Did you ever read Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things? The universe feels like it has a Paddy-Lee-shaped hole in it.
Well said, Ruth. I agree. Blogging will never be the same, never have that same conviviality. With no comments by Paddy, and no posts on her blog, it's like forever waiting for someone you love to come home.
Beautifully said, Jacqueline. Thank you for this.
Thank you, Karen.
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