The Houston, Texas-born actress married Patrick, also a producer, on June 12, 1975. He passed away on September 14, 2009, at age 57, after a battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

At the time, his representative shared, “Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months.” Alongside being a devoted husband, the late actor was a talented dancer, a romantic lead in movies, and a lover of the outdoors.

How the Couple Fell in Love and Maintained Their Marriage

During an April 2023 interview, it was revealed that Patrick, also born in Houston, met Lisa at his mother Patsy’s dance studio, where he was also a student. At the time, Lisa was 15 years old, and Patrick became her first dance partner.

After becoming a couple, they lived together on their California horse ranch, where they shared 34 years of marriage. Lisa and her first husband also co-starred in movies and were happy until his cancer diagnosis.

Despite their reputations, they got to know each other, grew close, and fell in love. The actress figured they got their reputations because they were different from everyone else, something they understood about each other.

Lisa was 18, and Patrick was 23 when they married. Addressing how they managed challenges in their famous marriage, she admitted that while things sometimes got tough and they’d fight, they “always hung in there.”

In another interview, when asked how they maintained their marriage, Lisa humorously quoted someone saying, “‘The way that you stay married for a long time is you don’t get divorced.'” She added that they stayed put, noted that love is essential, and they “never gave up on each other.”

Reflecting on their final days together, Lisa expressed regret that they were “so busy being positive” and hoping for miracles that they didn’t discuss their fears or stress. “I would’ve wanted to talk with him more. But there’s no doubt that I was doing the best that I knew how,” she admitted.

The actress shared how much she missed everythig about him, from his presence to their conversations. She missed talking to him but knew he was with her in spirit. The star also realized that she had neglected her own well-being during his illness, which led to years of suppressed emotions.

After Patrick’s death, Lisa sought trauma treatment to address the toll his illness had taken on her. She now advocates for caregivers to prioritize their health, emphasizing that self-care is vital when supporting loved ones through illness, noting, “It’s the worst thing in the world to go through.”

Even before he got sick, despite his fame the couple isolated themselves on their ranch, finding comfort in each other’s company and their animals. The star revealed that Patrick’s favorite place was their New Mexico ranch, where they often retreated.

After bringing Patrick home from the hospital, his condition quickly worsened. He slipped into a semi-coma before fully slipping away late one Friday night.

She continued, “I didn’t want to leave the room. I was afraid that suddenly I’d be afraid.” The actress held his hand and felt his dying pulse as he passed away at 10 a.m. Their final words to each other were, “I love you.” She’s since made it her job to keep his legacy alive.

Lisa has dedicated herself to preserving Patrick’s legacy. She called him a “hero,” praising his many talents, including flying and jumping out of planes, riding horses, and starring in iconic films like “Dirty Dancing,” “Ghost,” and “Point Break.”

While she occasionally watches his movies, Lisa admitted they catch her off guard. She still cries during certain scenes in “Ghost” and loves his line in “Point Break,” “‘Adios, amigo,'” which she says embodies his adventurous spirit.

Her late husband fought courageously for months, which his widow described as a testament to his resilience. He knew more about his diagnosis than his wife when he was first diagnosed. When he heard what he had he turned to his wife and declared, “I’m a dead man.”

As someone who is carrying on with the fight as a legacy to her late husband, Lisa liked saying, “Cancer took him, it didn’t beat him.” To continue his fight, she founded the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) to advocate for pancreatic cancer research funding.

However, she’s moved on romantically, building another love story.

Lisa had another chance at life and love after losing her first husband. Four years after losing Patrick, she had already started dating jeweler Albert DePrisco and was almost ready to marry again. The pair met through mutual friends.

The actress confessed, “I have to say, that the love I have for Patrick was never in conflict or competition with my feelings for Albert. That is until Albert asked me to marry him!” When he proposed, accepting it was “a leap of faith” for Lisa.

She struggled with having been married to Patrick for 34 years, and feeling married, and in private she went back and forth with the matter. The jeweler knew she still loved and would always love her first husband, telling her, “‘And I know you love me, and I love you.'”

However, she was grateful when Albert came into her life. But, she chastised herself for forgetting Patrick because he was still with her, albeit not physically, she still felt him, and they had a relationship.

While weighing whether she should marry Albert or not, Lisa dreamt Patrick ressuracted in a courtyard. Usually when she dreamt of him, he could never speak but she understood him regardless, but this time he came to her and put his arms around her.

Patrick Swayze let her know marrying Albert didn’t change what they felt for each other or their relationship. That was his way of giving her his blessing. One thing going through her first husband’s battle with cancer taught her was that the love they shared is what was important.