Patrick Swayze’s Wife Lisa Niemi Speaks Out
PATRICK Swayze’s widow Lisa Niemi has spoken publicly for the first time since the actor’s death — and insisted she “will see him again”.
Swayze died September 14 after losing his battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 57.
Niemi opened up about her loss Tuesday during a roundtable discussion on Grief, Healing and Resilience at the Women’s Conference 2009 in Long Beach, Calif.
“When the grief takes you, it’s like your body is not your own,” she said. “I’m just going with the flow. I know I have to go through it.”
Patrick and Lisa first met in 1970 when Swayze was 18 years old and Niemi, 14.
Niemi says she’s relied on a close group of friends to get through some of her darker hours.
“I have a few girlfriends that are just amazing. They have made themselves available to me 24/7. They say, ‘We don’t care if it’s 2 in the morning, call me’,” she said. “I was in the middle of a full-blown panic attack one evening … and I picked up the phone and called one, which is really hard for me to do because I’m used to being so self-sufficient and taking care of myself, but the very act of picking the phone up to call someone helped to calm me.”
“I’ve spent two thirds of my life with him … My regret is that I didn’t tell him that I loved him enough over that entire 34 years,” she said.
“I am so grateful for what I had and my connection to him, and part of me believes that I will see him again, and I’m just going to have to go on until then.”
Tags: lisa niemi, patrick swayze
lisa god is a good god,i pray that his blessing and his grace will shine on you.To have spent a lifetime with the man of your dreams is a blessing from god,and yes someday you will met him again.From the first time i watch his movies there was some thing very special about him.I pray that god will keep you,for Mr Patrick Swaye’s will always be in our hearts.
I have followed your story, having grown up a big fan of Patrick and Dirty Dancing, my heart aches for you. I lost my 6 year old daughter (Chelsie) to liver cancer, so I know loss. But to have the kind of relationship that it appears you had, I may never know. I have been married and divorced several times and it’s just not in the cards for me, at least right now. I am a happy single parent of a 14 year old daughter and love our life, but again sometime I ache for what might never be. To have someone to build your life with that truly loves and cares about you, well what you had, most people don’t.
Better to have loved, and lost, then never to have loved at all.
Painfull as it is, it has been 13 years for me, it is the hardest thing I’ve every endured!
All my love and prayers to you…:)
Lisa, God Bless You. The first time I saw Patrick Swayze in The Outsiders, I knew there was something extraordinary about him. I have followed his career and the wonderful spiritual connection the two of you had. He was a gentleman and very much a “real” man. Please know that even if we have never met, I know what it is to loose that one man who made the mornings more alive, the evenings magical, and everyday a blessed time. I pray for your strength in this time, and for the quiet of soul that remembering your love will one day give you.
My daughter and I met Patrick on an airplane flight once about 20 years ago. A flight from Seattle to LA, during that filming of that hockey movie he had done. He spent the flight conversing with us. It struck me then he was a very special man. He seemed so genuinely happy and kind, so very “real,” one of those really “good” people. First time I had ever met a movie star. He helped us with our luggage outside, and waited with us, still enjoying talking with us, till my brother, running late, finally picked us up. It was so surprising to meet someone so famous, but it was so refreshing to meet someone so kind and genuine.
So very sorry for your loss. How nice if you were able to see these heart felt comments about Patrick. I would love to be able to communicate with you since my husband has pancreatic cancer too. His is also in his liver and bladder. We’ve known since Feb of 2009 and would like to know how Patrick was able to do the work he was able to do this past summer. Many prayers were said for Patrick I’m sure and I ask that prayers were also offered for my husband.
I lost my husband and soulmate of 34 years on the same day…I know what Lisa is going thru…the emptiness, the panic attacks, the overwhelming feeling that your life is over. Friends are helping.
Lisa, our nation has lost a great performer, but you have lost so much more. I lost my husband of 26 years in September, 2003 to esophageal cancer after only a 5 month, 8 day diagnosis. My heart and prayers are with you. I didn’t know him personally, but you get a since from the performer, and he was beautiful. I will continue to pray for you and your family forever.
My fantastic husband died in June 2008, after battling pancreatic cancer for 27 months, so I understand what you are feeling, Lisa. I draw strength from our Creator and endure because I know I will be with my husband for eternity. I pray the same for you.
Today…this moment is all we are promised…life is uncertain…it changes almost as often as the tide ebbs. Grief is like a deep thick fog that settles over your soul, you feel lost and alone unable to wrap your mind around the loss that happened in a moment. They were there, talking, laughing, holding your hand, giving you words to help you go on after they are gone and then deafing silence. How does one cope with such emotion and loss? My heart goes out to you, I would that there were words to console. My hope and prayer is that you will find shelter in the storm in the arms of Jesus, He will hear your hearts cry, He sees the tears and the agony of your heart and soul..I hope that Partick knew Him…I really hope with all that is in me that he did.
Lisa, My heart goes out to you too. My husband went to work on July 6th, 2009 just like any other morning except he asked me to walk in our vegetable garden with him that morning. I am so glad that we did take that walk. At 10:30 AM I received the worst phone call one can receive. The ER docotr stated Junior had a massive heart attack or had passed a blood clot. I never saw him alive again. I know it is not easy whether you know your loved is dying or you have no idea it still hurts so deeply that you wonder if you will ever get over such a drastic loss. It is like part of you has died too. I had heard of the term “heart break” but never understood how one’s heart can actually feel like it is breaking but it can and I have felt the actual physical sensation of heaviness, emptiness,and numbness in my chest. But it will get easier, hang in there and know that you have so many people lifting you up in prayer to our Lord. May you sense the peace that only the Lord can give you. May God bless you and your family.