Terence and Marie Duffy, Patrick Duffy’s parents, were the victims of a horrific and devastating attack on that fateful evening in 1986.
The couple ran a bar in Boulder, Montana, where two young guys were asked to leave during the night.
As revenge, they returned to the bar, intent on exacting payback. A night of violence they have ensued, culminating in the death of Patrick Duffy’s loving parents.
The experience has left a permanent imprint on the actor’s life. Even though decades have passed since that apparent tragedy, he still remembers the awful facts within him.
In recent interviews, Duffy has spoken honestly about his battles with trauma related to losing his parents.
Sean A. Wentz and Kenneth A. Miller, both 19 at the time of the crime, ruthlessly murdered Duffy’s parents by shooting them in the head with no one else in the pub present.
This senseless act of violence changed Duffy’s life in a way that can never be undone, and he is still trying to deal with the shock and pain of this terrible event many years later.
To make matters worse, Wentz received a whopping 180-year term for purposefully firing the gun, while Miller was released from prison in 2007 despite being an accomplice in the horrible act.
Despite his great sadness, Duffy regards Miller’s release as appropriate because they have already been punished, whether inside or outside the prison walls.
Despite the sadness of losing his parents at such a young age, Duffy found peace in his Buddhist beliefs. He was able to process the loss without experiencing an immediate spiritual separation.
In retrospect, he recognized how much his religion had helped him cope with such a brutal reality.
It wasn’t enough to make him forget how cruelly his parents had been snatched from him, two people who were recognized for their love and warmth with others.
Duffy got through this challenging moment with the help of his wife, Carlyn Rosser, who understood the anguish of losing someone close to them.
Even though they were not famous or anything spectacular, their impact on those who knew them well was profound.
Duffy’s story reminds us not to take our loved ones for granted and to enjoy every time spent together.
Duffy suffered a devastatingly unexpected loss in 2017 when his beloved wife died at 77.
Notwithstanding the catastrophe that had happened to him, he had the steadfast support of his two sons, Padraic, 45, and Connor, 39, to help him work through this challenging phase.
They provided Duffy with solace and helped him cope with the reality of his wife’s untimely death.
