Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi met when Niemi received dancing lessons from Patsy Swayze, the actor’s mom. Niemi’s first opinion of Swayze was that he was muscular, tanned, and had a brilliant grin. Although she was somewhat reticent, she remembers him as confident and quite popular.
They fell in love quickly, yet Niemi desired to travel and dance before settling down. Nine months ago, she had moved out of her parents’ house and into a New York City studio apartment with Patrick Swayze.
When Swayze brought up the subject of marriage, Niemi flinched. And when he inquired as to when she believed they should wed, she attempted to gain time by responding that they would marry the following autumn, a year and a half later.
After a little more persuasion, Niemi agreed, and in 1975, the couple exchanged vows. They made a pact to be together until death separated them.
Remembering a wonderful man today, and what would have been our 44th anniversary. Use to be these events laid-me-out for…
Posted by Lisa Niemi Swayze on Wednesday, 12 June 2019
Father Welch, a close friend of the Swayze family, officiated their wedding. Patsy had performed musical theater with him and often remarked that he had a bizarre sense of humor.
When refurbishing their Los Angeles ranch house several years later, they often made light of how small their New York apartment had been. They often joked that their toilet was larger than their whole apartment in New York.
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Posted by Lisa Niemi Swayze on Friday, 26 February 2021
Niemi said that the moment she stared into Swayze’s eyes, everything came to life. Yet, their marriage was far from ideal, as Swayze’s “demons” and alcoholism plagued them. Incapable of coping, they separated.
Swayze’s issues prevented the couple from staying together, but their love proved even stronger, and after a brief separation, they reunited. Before Swayze’s cancer diagnosis, they had a happy relationship. But their happiness was dashed when Swayze was diagnosed with the disease.
On New Year’s Eve 2008, Swayze and Niemi were visiting friends in Aspen, and everybody had lifted their champagne glasses in anticipation of a toast. After Swayze ingested his drink, he grimaced yet remained silent. Again, the same thing occurred throughout their journey.
A week after their return to Los Angeles, he questioned his wife if his eyes had gone yellow. He had suffered from severe indigestion for the previous two or three days and had eaten very little.
Niemi said that they would see the physician the next morning, but Swayze reassured her that there was no need to hurry. Nonetheless, Niemi remained adamant.
Doctors found that he had pancreatic cancer and suspected that it had spread to other organs. According to the doctor’s recommendation, he would need surgery in order to survive.
Originally, the physicians gave him a few months to live due to the aggressive nature of the condition. Yet, subsequent reports indicated that, despite the dire diagnosis, the outlook was positive.
Niemi remained at his side throughout his sickness and never left his side. She saw each day spent with him as a triumph.
While Niemi watched her husband fight this painful illness, she did not perceive him to be weak. Rather, she respected his courageous decision to utilize his pancreatic cancer diagnosis to promote awareness and assist others with the disease.
Niemi remembers Swayze saying, “I want to live,” as they were strolling on their New Mexico property. He continued by acknowledging that everybody participating in this conflict wants to survive and relieve their families of misery and anxiety.
She said that the diagnosis revealed a part of Swayze that he had always desired to embrace: his bravery, humility, determination, and strength.
Swayze’s health worsened despite the physicians’ optimism that he might beat the sickness. Niemi remained at his side, sleeping in his bed, caressing and holding his hand, and sharing his bed.
In the morning of September 14, 2009, Swayze passed away as his wife sat by his side and checked his pulse. In barely 22 months, the cancer killed the legendary actor.
That was a tragic day for Niemi and for the whole globe. Niemi had lost her friend, lover, and spouse, and coping with her sorrow proved to be a formidable obstacle. Niemi said that Swayze had been her “angel” during his burial.
A year after his untimely death, Niemi continued to text her husband on the phone. She said that messaging him allowed her to sense his presence. Even though it may seem strange, psychologists accept it as a way to deal with grief.
It is a widespread method for coping with sadness that is known as magical thinking. Niemi would add that every time she went, she regularly contacted her late husband and then shed a few tears. She said, “I just put what I always put: “I love you.”
She continued that, and then she wept alone for a little while. So either he got it someplace or someone is thinking, “Someone loves me!” and she believes it to be a win-win scenario.
A few months after Swayze’s death, Niemi returned to horseback riding to alleviate his grief. She particularly enjoyed riding Kuhaylan Roh, Swayze’s white horse, which he rode on his 2008 vow renewal.
She recognized that mourning is an enduring experience. She said that it is a wound that heals yet leaves a scar that may gradually diminish but will ultimately reappear. Hence, she takes each day as it comes and delights in the glorious days.
Niemi struggled to overcome the sadness, yet falling in love was much more difficult. Some years after the loss of Swayze, Niemi met Patrick DePrisco via shared acquaintances.
She did not believe she would fall in love again, but she did, and she characterized falling in love as a sick sensation, a butterfly tummy, rubbery legs, and impaired mental ability.
Tragically, the couple broke up in 2013 as she still loved Swayze and could not bear his death. The issue of their long-distance relationship also strained their connection.
But, after they separated, she wept for hours. However, they reunited soon afterwards and dated for some time until DePrisco proposed to her on Christmas Eve, 2013.
Niemi’s acceptance of the proposal was a leap of faith, and she often questioned if she was prepared to spend the rest of her life with someone else. Before the proposal, her affections for both guys were never in conflict.
The proposal implied that she would marry DePrisco, but she began to have second thoughts. She would discuss with people the crossroads she often encountered. “Albert knew I still loved Patrick and would always love him, and told me, ‘And I know you love me, and I love you.’ How could I not marry this man?”
DePrisco understood her stance, but she remained unconvinced. But, one month before her marriage to DePrisco, she dreamt about Swayze. She stated that she had a dream about Patrick about one and a half months ago. It felt as though he was giving her his approval and letting her know everything was OK.
In May 2014, she received her green light to marry DePrisco, and the couple exchanged vows in front of fifty family members and friends. Niemi thought it was weird that her romantic relationship did not alter her feelings for Swayze. Her other bereaved pals, though, reassured her that love emanated from the same source.
Niemi recognized that losing her husband did not require her to stop loving him; she is thankful that she still has love to share, and she and DePrisco consider themselves fortunate to have each other.
There were moments of suffering for her, but she recalled that sadness has both good and terrible days since at its core is love, which consoles her. Niemi is pleased with her marriage to DePrisco, with whom she anticipates a future filled with joy.
