Patrick Swayze's Widow Speaks About Her Loss at Conference

Lisa Niemi, the widow of Patrick Swayze, spoke about dealing with the loss of her husband at California First Lady Maria Shriver's Women's Conference on Tuesday.

Niemi joined Elizabeth Edwards and Susan Saint James on a panel moderated by Shriver called "Grief, Healing & Resilience." Elizabeth Edwards lost her son, Wade when he was 16, while Saint James' son Teddy passed away at age 14. Shriver's mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and her uncle, Ted Kennedy, both passed away in recent months.

Niemi said about the grieving process, "I never knew what to say to people who lost somebody and, boy, I have a good idea about it now." She explained that having girlfriends who she can call at any time of the day or night has helped her deal with losing her husband of 34 years: "Sometimes just the act of reaching out helps to ground and connect you back to life and love and other people."

Niemi said of Swayze, "Cancer may have taken him but it never beat him." She said that part of the grieving process has been dealing with regrets and beating herself up over the little things. She told the panel, "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. ... 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."

She said that appearing on the conference has a way for her to try to help others in her position: "For me to learn to reach out and connect with other people was a huge thing, and it enriches the whole tapestry of life when you connect with other people."

Edwards, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, says that she doesn't fear death, in part, because, "For me it's not as scary in part because I have to believe that there's a chance of reunion of some sort with Wade so death offers me that, which life doesn't offer me."

Published 10/27/09 by the Insider

Comments (7)

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  • Hi, I would like to test facebook connect!
    Anonymous 10/28/09 Reply
  • WHY IS SHE WEARING MAKE UP NOW?
    Anonymous 10/28/09 Reply
  • Do not Judge!
    Anonymous 10/27/09 Reply
  • If Lisa Niemi loved Patrick so much and was so proud of being his wife, then WHY DIDN'T SHE TAKE HIS NAME when she married him? I find this craze of women keeping their maiden name when they marry appalling. It's not as if Ms. Niemi were so well known that people wouldn't recognize her if she were to call herself Lisa Swayze. It's actually said women feel they must keep their given name when they marry - they were brainwashed by the FemiNazis that taking your husband's name makes you less than a woman, less than your own person. Oh, how WRONG this is.
    MISSMOO 10/27/09 Reply
    • She made her decision 34 years ago, so why is it anyone's business to question that? Lisa showed her love and devotion to Patrick all those years so that doesn't make any difference. Patrick loved her and that is it and should be it period!
      Anonymous 10/27/09
    • HER LOSS!
      I WOULD HAVE LOVED HIS NAME!
      Anonymous 10/28/09
  • Oh my
    NeverLetGo 10/27/09 Reply