Swayze's Courage Defined His Character

CLEVELAND - So sad to hear about Patrick Swayze's death last night, not because he was a great and beloved actor, but because he was such a brave and humble guy with a beautiful 34 year marriage to Lisa, the love of his life.

God bless her and his family.

Swayze, 57 succumbed to pancreatic cancer, the horrifying disease that he was diagnosed with less than two years ago. In spite of the immense pain that it causes (not to mention its grim prognosis), he was determined to live and enjoy life and all its little pleasures. He told Barbara Walters last January that he wasn't going to "chase life," but he didn't need to. His understanding of his situation and willingness to embrace life for what it had become as opposed to what it had been when he was healthy was a catalyst in his relative happiness.

I watched Swayze's demeanor and listened closely to his words since his diagnosis and I couldn't help but be inspired. Without question, his courage said a great deal about the wonderful person he was. He was realistic, yet optimistic and had an amazingly high pain threshold. Indeed, just months after he received the bad news, he plunged into filming 13 episodes of a new cable TV series called "The Beast." Though grueling and highly challenging given his condition, he pressed on with a steely tenacity that amazed his co-stars.

And me.

Swayze will be remembered so much for his acting, especially in the 1987 film, Dirty Dancing as well as 1990's Ghost. But, while I recognize that those were two incredible movies, I won't tether his legacy to them.

He was just a hell of a guy. Period.