Inside her life now 16 years after his passing

Lisa Niemi is a dancer, writer and actress, best known for starring opposite husband Patrick in One Last Dance (2003) and author of two memoirs.

She co-wrote 2009 autobiography The Time of My Life with Patrick, and published her own memoir Worth Fighting For: Love, Loss, and Moving Forward in 2012, which explored her husband’s passing.

Lisa met Patrick when they were both still in their teens at Swayze’s mother’s dance studio in Texas.

He told People in 2007, “I knew she was the smartest chick I’d ever met in my life […] for a long time I didn’t feel like I deserved her.”

The couple tied the knot in 1975, five years after they first met. They kept things lowkey for the ceremony, which took place on 12 June.

The pair held their summer ceremony in their hometown of Houston. The reception celebrated their earlier meeting, taking place at Patrick’s family dance studio where they first crossed paths.

Patrick sadly passed on 14 September 2009 following a fight against pancreatic cancer at just 57 years old. Since his death, Lisa has been instrumental in protecting her late husband’s legacy.

She has been a prominent activist and spokesperson for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) since 2010.

Alongside her activism work, Lisa is enjoying life with her second husband jeweller Albert DePrisco. The couple said ‘I do’ in 2014 but Patrick remains an important part of her life to this day.

She recently opened up about the continued connection to her late husband, saying: “I still feel him with me every day, and hear what he would say to me about certain things.”