Local loss becomes literary impulse
CARY, N.C. — Patrick Stapleton, a 37-year-old banquet worker at the five-star Umstead Hotel in Cary, has published his debut novel, The Last "I Love You," a work he says grew out of the love and expectations of his late sister, Danielle Richardson.
Stapleton, the youngest of five in an Irish family and a college English major, says the book is rooted in a sibling relationship that shaped his life. His sister, Danielle, who became a physician and taught in the Department of Medicine at Duke Regional Hospital, died after a struggle with a rare connective tissue disorder called Loeys-Dietz syndrome.
Sibling counsel lingered — and propelled a project
Stapleton recalls a pivotal moment at a 2017 family wedding reception when Danielle pulled him aside and told him, "I'm worried about you. You're not living your best life. You have so much more potential in you." The remark, he said, stuck with him and later helped motivate his creative work.
"She said to me, 'I'm worried about you. You're not living your best life. You have so much more potential in you.'"
Danielle, who was nine years older, is remembered by family members as a doting sister who packed a great deal into a 41-year life: medical training, marriage and children, and a strong reputation among patients and colleagues.
Community ties and personal stakes
Stapleton's story combines local ties — employment at a prominent Cary hotel and family ties in the area — with broader themes of grief, legacy and the pursuit of potential. The book represents both a tribute to his sister and a public step for a writer who says he struggled to find his footing in his mid-20s.
- Author: Patrick Stapleton, 37, banquet worker at the Umstead Hotel
- Book: The Last "I Love You." (debut novel)
- Inspiration: Danielle Richardson, physician at Duke Regional Hospital; died after battling Loeys-Dietz syndrome
Facts at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Author's age | 37 |
| Sister's age at death | 41 |
| Medical condition | Loeys-Dietz syndrome |
Stapleton’s novel adds to a stream of locally rooted creative work that draws on personal loss and family memory. For Cary and Wake County readers, it underscores how everyday members of the community — from hospitality workers to medical professionals — shape cultural life and leave legacies that outlast them.
