Pat Conroy, 70, dies after short battle with pancreatic cancer

Pat Conroy, whose best-selling novels include “Prince of Tides,” died Friday evening at his home in Beaufort, S.C.

He was 70 years old.

“The water is wide but he has now crossed over,” said his wife, Cassandra King, through a family friend.

Conroy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about a month ago. When he announced it Feb. 15 on Facebook, he said, “I intend to fight it hard.”

He died at 7:43 p.m., surrounded by loved ones and family.

Stomach pain was at first thought to be pancreatitis. But further testing confirmed shortly before the public announcement that it was pancreatic cancer, which spread rapidly.

He said at the time his goal was to finish a novel he was writing.

This story was originally published March 4, 2016 at 10:22 PM with the headline "Pat Conroy, 70, dies after short battle with pancreatic cancer."