'The few minutes you spent with him had an enormous impact': Parent pens emotional tribute to André Leon Talley, thanking him for inspiring their late son to pursue art school dreams even though he only had a few years to live

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Since André Leon Talley's death at age 73 on Tuesday, loving tributes have poured in for the former Vogue editor from stars like Karlie Kloss, Nicole Kidman, and Viola Davis — but it's a eulogy by an anonymous parent from Massachusetts that's leaving internet users clutching their hearts.

In a comment left on the New York Times' obituary for Talley on Wednesday, the parent wrote directly to Talley, thanking him for having such an impact on their late son's life during a meeting in the late '90s.

The commenter recounted how their son, born with a fatal heart condition, had been at a 'crossroads' when he met Talley, who talked him into pursuing his love of art and helped ensure the last years of his life 'were filled with joy, creativity and adventure.'

The commenter, who goes only by 'Somerbridge,' began their comment to Talley by explaining, 'My son is no longer here to thank you, so I'll do it for him.' 

A Massachusetts parent has written a heartwarming tribute to late Vogue editor André Leon Talley after his death at the age of 73

The parent thanked Talley for encouraging their son to pursue his artistic dreams, even though the son had only a few years left to live

They continued: 'In the late 90's he met you at a turning point in his life, and the few minutes you spent talking to him made an enormous impact on his future.

'A few days before meeting you he had just been accepted at the art school of his choice. But sadly also learned that he had only a few more years to live (a heart condition he was born with). He was wondering if it was even worth going to school.

'You talked to him about passion, and the longing of his soul to envision and create beauty.

'He decided to go to art school, fully realizing that the clock was ticking. His passion, creativity and happiness grew immeasurably over the next few years as he followed his dream.

'Though he only lived for a few years after graduating, those years were filled with joy, creativity and adventure.

'What more could I as a parent hope for. Though his time was short, my son got to live a little of his dream.

'Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking a few minutes of your day to talk to a young person at the crossroads of their life.

'May your memory be eternal in the hearts of those who love you,' they concluded.

The parent said their son's last years 'were filled with joy, creativity and adventure' thanks to Talley's encouraging words

The fashion icon died of a heart attack on Tuesday. A friend said it was due to complications of COVID-19

Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour released a statement about her decades-long friendship, which had soured in the years leading up to Talley's devastating death  

The letter has proven popular among New York Times readers, with other commenters calling it 'beautiful,' 'heartbreaking and wonderful,' and 'a wonderful inspiring message.'

It has continued to earn attention as writer Evan Ross Katz shared it on Instagram.

'A lot to glean about the man from those that knew him best, surely, but also as much from those who barely knew him at all, but have his imprint on them forever,' he wrote.

Several commenters on Instagram said the letter left them in tears, with one writing that she was 'absolutely weeping.' 

Talley, who served as creative director and editor-at-large at Vogue for many years, reportedly died of a heart attack at a hospital in White Plains, New York on Tuesday. 

Texas anesthesiologist Dr. Yvonne Cormier, a longtime friend of the editor, told the Houston Chronicle that it was due to complications from coronavirus. COVID has been known to cause lasting heart conditions in patients, and small blood clots can form in the heart, according to Johns Hopkins University.  

'It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Andre Leon Talley,' a statement posted on his official Instagram account said. 

'Mr. Talley was the larger-than-life, longtime creative director at Vogue during its rise to dominance as the world's fashion bible.

'Over the past five decades as an international icon [he] was a close confidant of Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld, Paloma Picasso, Diane von Furstenberg and he had a penchant for discovering, nurturing and celebrating young designers.' 

Tributes have poured in from celebrities, including actress Kerry Washington, who said 'the whole afterlife is going to be just too fabulous now' 

'So much love for you Andre. From the moment I stepped into America, you embraced and supported me,' Nicole Kidman wrote

Octavia Spencer tweeted: 'I am sad to hear of Andre Leon Talley’s passing. My thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones'

'An unapologetic force within fashion, the world became a little less fabulous today,' influencer Olivia Palermo tweeted. 'Rest in fabulousness André Leon Talley'

Born in Washington in 1948, Talley was largely raised by his grandmother in Durham, North Carolina and was interested in fashion from an early age. 

'Every Sunday I would walk across the railroad tracks into the affluent part of Durham and buy Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, and go back to my grandmother's house, read my magazines,' he told The Guardian in a May 2020 interview.

'I was allowed to retreat from the bullying and the sexual abuse into a beautiful world.'

Talley studied French at university, going on to earn a master's at prestigious Brown University and then entered the world of fashion journalism.

After stints with Andy Warhol's Interview magazine, Women's Wear Daily, W, and a brief spell at The New York Times, Talley joined Vogue as fashion news director in 1983, the same year as its now editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

It was the start of a three-decade association with the fashion bible, serving as creative director, contributing editor and later editor-at-large until his departure in 2013. 

In a statement released on Wednesday morning, Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour shared a lengthy tribute to Talley in which she said the loss of the fashion legend is 'immeasurable,' and that she will miss him despite their 'complicated past.'

The pair's long-time friendship came to an abrupt end when she apparently froze him out for being 'too old, too overweight, too uncool', he claimed. 

Karlie Kloss paid tribute with an Instagram post, writing, 'Your legacy in fashion will be treasured forever'

Paris Hilton reacted to the former creative director and editor-at-large of Vogue magazine's death by sharing a photo of them on her Instagram Story

Viola Davis directed a message to the late star, telling him to 'rest well king' with a red heart emoji

Broadway legend Bette Midler tweeted that Talley 'was such a force, & believed in the magic of Fashion & its illusions with all his being'

In his 2020 memoir, The Chiffon Trenches, he wrote that he was left with 'huge emotional and psychological scars' after Wintour made remarks about his weight and in one scorching passage, he wrote: 'She is immune to anyone other than the powerful and famous people who populate the pages of Vogue… . I am no longer of value to her.’ 

However, in her tribute to Talley, Wintour shared her grief over his passing, noting that he was 'a generous and loving friend to me and my family for many, many years'.

She wrote: 'The loss of André is felt by so many of us today: the designers he enthusiastically cheered on every season, and who loved him for it; the generations he inspired to work in the industry, seeing a figure who broke boundaries while never forgetting where he started from; those who knew fashion, and Vogue, simply because of him; and, not forgetting, the multitude of colleagues over the years who were consistently buoyed by every new discovery of André’s, which he would discuss loudly, and volubly — no one could make people more excited about the most seemingly insignificant fashion details than him. 

'Even his stream of colorful faxes and emails were a highly anticipated event, something we all looked forward to,' she said. 

'Yet it’s the loss of André as my colleague and friend that I think of now; it’s immeasurable,' she went on.

'He was magnificent and erudite and wickedly funny — mercurial, too. Like many decades-long relationships, there were complicated moments, but all I want to remember today, all I care about, is the brilliant and compassionate man who was a generous and loving friend to me and to my family for many, many years, and who we will all miss so much.'  

Milla Jovovich paid homage to her late friend on Instagram with a beautiful message

Actress Niecy Nash reflected on the 'impression' the icon left 'on anyone that crossed his path'

Actress Holly Robinson Peete wrote of the late fashion icon: 'What a mark you made' 

Diane von Furstenberg mourned her friend on Instagram, writing: 'No one saw the world in a more elegant and glamorous way than you did'

Besides his fashion journalism, Talley served as a judge on 'America's Next Top Model' and also appeared in episodes of 'Sex and The City' and 'Empire.'

In 2018, he appeared in documentary The Gospel According To Andre, directed by Kate Novack. 

He wrote three books, including his 2020 best-selling memoir 'The Chiffon Trenches,' in which he detailed his famous falling out with powerful Vogue chief Wintour.

Since his passing was announced on Tuesday, friends in the fashion world have taken to social media to share remembrances. 

'Goodbye darling Andre... no one saw the world in a more elegant and glamorous way than you did,' designer Diane von Furstenberg said on Instagram. 'No one was more soulful and grander than you were. The world will be less joyful. I have loved you and laughed with you for 45 years. I miss your loud screams... I love you soooo much.'

'I am sad to hear of Andre Leon Talley's passing. My thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones,' Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer tweeted.

Fellow Oscar-winner Viola Davis wrote: 'RIP Andre Leon Talley. Rest well King.' 

'Oh Andre! Heaven is not ready for you darling!' Kerry Washington wrote on Instagram. 'The whole afterlife is going to be just too fabulous now. Ugh! You blessed us! Sir! You blessed us with your charm and wit and your taste for the exceptional.

'You will shine so brightly from the heavens that we will know what true stardom looks like,' she went on. 'And we will gaze up at you always. In awe. And with gratitude. Rest In Peace.'

Andy Cohen called Talley 'an incredible person who lived an incredible, groundbreaking life'

Broadcaster Tamron Hall tweeted a photo with him on her daytime talk show from 2021

Journalist Sunny Hostin called the news 'devastating' and told followers she 'adored André Leon Talley' and described him as a 'legend'

Canadian singer-songwriter Deborah Cox also expressed her grief

'Rest in peace,' actor David Alan Grier tweeted with a prayer hands emoji

Paris Hilton chimed in as well, while Bette Midler tweeted: 'I’m sorry to say the extraordinary #AndreLeonTalley has died. He was such a force, & believed in the magic of Fashion & its illusions with all his being. His life was a saga of great highs, great lows, the dramatic, the ridiculous, and the endless pursuit of beauty. Love & RIP.'

Others included Andy Cohen, Niecy Nash, Tamron Hall, Sunny Hostin, David Allen Grier, Deborah Cox, Milla Jovovich, Kristin Davis, Holly Robinson Peete, Marc Jacobs, Derek Blasberg, Nicole Kidman, and Karlie Kloss.

'Rest In Peace, André,' Karlie wrote over a photo of the former Vogue editor, adding, 'Your legacy in fashion will be treasured forever.' 

'Slave Play' playwright Jeremy O. Harris was also among those paying tribute.

'For a little black gay boy who reached for the stars from the south there were few people I could look up to up there amongst the stars who looked like me just more fab except for you Andre,' Harris tweeted. 'For a generation of boys Andre Leon Talley was a beacon of grace and aspiration. RIP.'

'R.I.P dearest Andre. Without you, there would be no me. Thank you for paving the way,' said Edward Enninful, editor-in-chief of British Vogue.