The Late Great Paddy Lee, Caftan Woman

It was this afternoon on Twitter that I received the sad news that my friend Paddy Lee had died today. I am not sure how long we had known each other, but she was a long time blogger like myself. She ran the blog Caftan Woman. If the blog sounds familiar, it is because she participated in just about every blogathon I held and often commented on this blog. In addition to being a prolific blogger, she also read many blogs. It was not unusual for Paddy to comment on a post when no one else had. She also participated in many blogathons over the years.

In addition to blogging, Paddy was also active on Twitter. She often tweeted about classic film and classic television and interacted with several fellow classic film and classic television fans. Paddy was a huge fan of Westerns going all the way back to the Silent Era. As might be expected, she was a fan of the television Westerns of the Fifties as well. In fact, I think she may well have been the biggest fan of Maverick I ever knew. She wrote several posts on the show. In fact, her final post, from a few days ago, was on the Maverick episode "The Savage Hills." Paddy's tastes were diverse. She was as comfortable with an old Hollywood musical like 42nd Street (1933) as she was an episode of Perry Mason. Her tastes were similar to mine, so I knew a movie was good if Paddy liked it.

Paddy suffered from kidney disease for many years and last year she even had a kidney transplant. She had been off Twitter since February due to issues with her health. For all the problems with her health Paddy had, she always maintained a sunny disposition. She was always eager to compliment her friends and always the first to say a kind word when one needed it. She was one of the most supportive people I have ever known. To put it in simply, Paddy was a real pal.

This evening I know that many in the classic film and the classic TV community are mourning Paddy's passing. She enriched all of our lives with her positivity and her enthusiasm for classic movies and classic TV shows. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we will miss her terribly. My deepest condolences go out to her family and many friends.