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I am writing about Don and Doris Fisher - founders of the GAP - and their love of modern art. The problem is that Don is deceased, yet Doris is alive. Writing that the Fishers loved modern art is awkward because then I am talking about both of them in the past tense. Writing that Don loved and Doris loves modern art is simply awkward. Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I can get around this problem?

Ramon
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    If you want to suggest that Doris is still alive, you may say "Doris Fischer and her dead husband Don loved modern art." – Graffito Aug 30 '15 at 17:29
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    @Graffito "...and her late husband" would sound less harsh – Mari-Lou A Aug 30 '15 at 17:53
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    Is anyone else reminded of Mitch Hedberg? "Doris used to love modern art. She still does, but she used to, too." – R.M. Aug 30 '15 at 21:15
  • This is a little on the creative side, but maybe you could make this work, if this problem is coming up in a large number of sentences: The Fishers have concentrated their efforts on... – aparente001 Sep 01 '15 at 20:56

2 Answers2

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You can avoid the verb-tense problem and say it indirectly, e.g.

Don and Doris Fisher, lovers of modern art and joint founders of the GAP ...

Another approach would be stating explicitly what happened, e.g.

Don and Doris Fisher always loved modern art and, since Don's [insert appropriate euphemism, e.g. 'passing'] Doris has continued to this day to support ...

chasly - supports Monica
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You could avoid repeating the same verb in different tenses by saying

Doris Fisher loves modern art, as did her late husband Don.

or Doris Fisher loves modern art, like her late husband Don.

alephzero
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