It would take time for Lisa Niemi to heal. While Niemi still maintained her desire to become a professional dancer, Swayze was slowly making a name for himself in the world of acting. Now, just two years after his death, his wife, Lisa Niemi Swayze, is revisiting her 34-year marriage, including her decision to add "Swayze" to her name and to … Sure enough, more success came Swayze’s way, with unforgettable roles in movies such as Point Break, Road House, and Ghost. In the 1970s, Niemi and her husband pursued dance careers in New York City. ©2020 FOX News Network, LLC. It turns out that Patrick Swayze struggled to cope with the loss of both his father and sister. One person who thoroughly admired Swayze and Niemi’s undying bond was Barbara Walters. A rep for Niemi, 57, confirmed the news to People magazine. All market data delayed 20 minutes. Soon enough, Niemi’s time spent at ballet school would lead her to her beloved Patrick…, It turns out that Patrick Swayze’s mother, Patsy, was actually Lisa Niemi’s ballet teacher. In fact, Swayze and Niemi also collaborated on a professional level, with the latter directing the 2003 movie One Last Dance. "What I most look forward to on my wedding day is walking up, standing at our altar, and looking into his most incredible, twinkling eyes," she said. "You spend every day fighting for that person's life. "He is supposed to have this big head, be a Casanova," Niemi told "GMA" co-anchor Robin Roberts in 2010 of their first encounter. The host referred to their marriage as “extraordinary.” “The way he looked at her, the way he held on to her, the way she smiled, I can’t really imagine one without the other,” she said. However, at 57 years of age, Patrick Swayze succumbed to his illness and passed away on September 14, 2009. [2] Niemi has said her father and her mother's professions were her inspiration and encouragement. The 57-year-old actor was married to Lisa Niemi for 34 years and died from cancer in September 2009, reports StarPulse. He survived 22 months, which was miraculous with the diagnosis that he received.". The pair survived Swayze's rocket to stardom after "Dirty Dancing" and a year-long separation when Swayze was drinking. Those movies made him a huge star. In our urgent mission to save lives, we attack pancreatic cancer on all fronts: research, clinical initiatives, patient services and advocacy.” It turns out that Niemi did something in honor of Swayze and the charity that many people have differing opinions about…, Lisa Niemi ended up selling a number of items of memorabilia from Swayze’s illustrious career. From a young age, she knew that she wanted to pursue a career in ballet and other performance arts. I looked in his eyes, it was like everything came alive.". I never left the room without telling him. From Death Row, She's Having a Baby and Slam Dance. The low-budget flick ended up making a staggering $214 million at the box office. He has gone on the record, explaining how much of an impact his wife had on his early years in entertainment. Niemi co-starred as Carla Frost in 23 episodes of the TV series Super Force from 1990 to 1991. In other words, they expected Patrick's childhood sweetheart and wife to hand over a chunk of change. [3] She is of Finnish ancestry. [15][16] On January 2, 2012, Niemi Swayze released her New York Times Best Selling memoir, Worth Fighting For. Lisa Niemi wed jeweler Albert DePrisco in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday reports People. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Actor Patrick Swayze and his wife Lisa Niemi pose as they arrive at the party following the premiere of the comedy film "Dan in Real Life" in Hollywood, California. All rights reserved. On September 29, 2009, Niemi Swayze released a memoir, The Time of My Life (.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}ISBN 9781439158586), which became a New York Times Best Seller, and had been co-written by Patrick Swayze, and was finished just shortly before his death. However, there was no doubt that the person who was hit the hardest by his passing was his wife, Lisa Niemi. They married in 1975 and remained together until he died. "And so, of course, later on when he asked me out, I said yes.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, However, an unidentified source told RadarOnline that the actor may have been a victim of abuse, to which Lisa has vehemently denied. For many, this sort of family tragedy can make or break a relationship. However, it would take a while before Kirstie Alley revealed fantasies she had about Patrick Swayze while working with him on the show North and South. [19][20] The Swayzes had no children. Lisa Niemi wed jeweler Albert DePrisco in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday reports People. “I just felt at the time that I’m very, very lucky to have a woman who thinks I hung the moon,” he said. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. Although Lisa Niemi was confident in moving on with Albert DePrisco, a huge curveball came her way when the jeweler got down on one knee and asked for her hand in marriage. [17] While filming One Last Dance in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Niemi was made an honorary citizen of the Canadian city. Through thick and thin, Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi managed to maintain a healthy, exciting marriage. The Blow By Blow. [25] On May 25, 2014, the couple were married. “These were family heirlooms,” she said. When the actor was diagnosed with the pancreatic cancer that would eventually cause his death, in 2009, Niemi stood by his side. “And I’ve only seen the beginning of it.” Sure enough, Swayze battled long and hard until the very end…. “As soon as I opened up about what I wanted from life, she would answer me,” he said. “I would be with Patrick a million times over if I could — warts and all…My regret is that I didn’t tell him that I loved him enough over that entire 34 years,” she said. Niemi was married to actor Patrick Swayze for 34 years until he died of pancreatic cancer in September 2009. One of the biggest challenges that the married couple faced was around the time that Ghost was released. Lisa Niemi, wife of the late Patrick Swayze, speaks at the Women';s Conference 2009 in Long Beach, California. In fact, Niemi admitted that she didn’t really struggle to date somebody else after losing Swayze. It wasn’t just the reported fights that may have suggested that all wasn’t well in the Swayze-Niemi household. It had been more than four years since her husband Patrick Swayze died of pancreatic cancer in 2009 and she … Patrick Swayze’s widow has remarried. However, was she able to find a light at the end of the tunnel? Their ... With spring in sight, we certainly have a spring in our step! Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. It was during this time that Niemi suffered a miscarriage. Then, 12 years later, his sister passed away from complications related to prescription medicine. Why 'The Rock' is endorsing THIS candidate, Penelope Ann Miller to play Nancy Reagan in upcoming Ronald Reagan biopic, 'Star Trek' actor George Takei responds to feud with William Shatner: 'All that is bile', Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee plans to leave US if Trump wins re-election, Amazon bans 'What Killed Michael Brown?' According to the organization’s website, it “is dedicated to fighting the world’s toughest cancer. Lisa Niemi was the woman by Patrick Swayze's side for most of his life and they remained deeply in love up until his death in 2009. “If I started putting on a pose or doing my Casanova routine, Lisa would turn away and not say anything,” he said. They fought and I covered up a lot of that — they destroyed hotel rooms, cars, their house … It was abusive,” the source claimed.