ONLY WE KNEW
W
henadoctorcalled
to break the news
to Patrick Swayze
thathehadstageIV
pancreaticcancerin
20 08,thestar’sreac-
tionwasimmediateandintense.He turned
tohisyoungerbrotherDonandsaid,“S---!
Goddamn.I’vegotto getoffmy assandjam.”
Itwasjustthiskindof never-say-diespir-
itthatmadePatricksucha compellingpres-
enceon-screeninfilmsrangingfromclassic
chickflicks(DirtyDancing,Ghost) toultra-
machoactionfavorites(PointBreak,Road
House).Thediagnosis“didn’textinguish
his desire,”C. ThomasHowell,a three-time
co-starandlifelongfriendof Patrick’s,tells
Closer. “He waslike,‘I’vegota shortamount
oftimetogeta hellof a lotdone.Let’sgoto
work.’That’swhathe did,andit’strulyin-
dicativeof thetypeof hearthe had.”
Now 10 yearsafterPatrick’suntimely
deathat 57,hisfamilyandfriendsareshar-
ingnever-before-toldstorieswithCloserand
ina newdocu-special,I AmPatrickSwayze
(seepage30),of thechallengeshesocou-
rageouslyovercame.He valiantlysurvived
childhoodabuse,alcoholismandmarital
strife,thenfinallysuccumbedtoa disease
hecouldn’tvanquish.“Heplayedheroesin
his movies,andheshowedhimselftobea
heroinreallife,”sayswidowLisaNiemi,63,
who wedhimwhenshewas 19 andwasstill
byhissidewhenhe died 34 yearslater.“He
was themostincredibleman.”
THE OUTSIDER
Patrickwasafighterfromthestart.Born
eightweekspremature,he wasnotexpect-
edtolive,butanIrishnuntoldhismother,
“Yourbabywasbornwitha staron hishead”
—a si gnof goodluck.GrowingupinHous-
ton,he hadpowerfulparents:DadJessewas
a championcowboy,whilemomPatsyrana
dancestudio,wherePatrickwasa starpupil.
Infact,Patsywasthetoughertaskmaster
onBuddy,as Patrickwascalled.“Shecould
beveryviolent,”Lisasaysof herformer
mother-in-law.“Onhis18thbirthday,Patsy
was layingintoBuddy,andhisdadfinally
pulledher off Buddyandpushedher against
the wallandsaid,‘Ifyouevertouchmy son
again,I’lldivorceyou.’ ”(JesseandPatsy
remainedmarrieduntilhe diedat 57 —the
sameageas Patrickdid—in 1982.)
PatrickandPatsy’srelationshipwascom-
COVER STORY
Swayze
A DECADEAFTERTHESTAR’STRAGICDEATH,FAMILY&
FRIENDSREVEALPOIGNANTMEMORIES
THE
Patrick
By BRUCE FRETTS
Patrick with wife Lisa
Niemi (top) in 2006 and
with Jennifer Grey in
1987’s Dirty Dancing
18 August 26, 2019 CLOSER
