he credits his wife, lisa niemi for helping him. >> i'm offering food and shelter. >> reporter: they were together when he died with pancreatic cancer. he insisted on working up to the end, filming scenes for "the beast" between bouts of cheem therapy. a line he delivered on m.a.s.h. still applies. >> it seems to me, i have a right to do what i want with the time i have left. >> reporter: george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. >> we also learned today, the women who inspired the 1979 film, "norma ray" died. sally field starred in it. her name was crystal lee sutton. she died over the weekend of cancer. she was 68 years old. >>> why we might never look a at the washington monument the same way ever again. be and the life i want to live. fortunately, there's enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, fatigue, and stop joint damage. because enbrel suppresses your immune system, serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis. also a

he met his wife of 33 years, lisa niemi, when at age 15 she began taking lessons at his mother's studioafter his dancing ability led to broadway, swayze landed tv and movie roles, playing young, tough guys in "the outsiders" and "red dawn." on the tv series "m.a.s.h.," he had a brief role as a dying soldier. >> i don't know much about leukemia, but i know there's no cure. >> reporter: then came his big break. >> good. now roll this way. >> reporter: in "dirty dancing," swayze got to show off the moves he learned as a teenager and his acting chops as well. >> nobody puts baby in a corner. >> "dirty dancing" is a movie that really is a touchstone for a generation. so he'll always be remembered for that. >> reporter: it catapulted swayze onto hollywood's "a" list and the title of sexiest man alive in 1991. >> it's absolutely flattering to me. it makes me feel great and opens doors in my life and makes people keep coming to my movies. >> reporter: he could still play the tough guy in movies like "road house." but he was able to show his sensitive side in romantic roles like "ghost." ♪ wait

he credits his wife, lisa niemi for helping him turn things around. they appeared together in "steel dawn." >> i'm offering food and shelter. >> reporter: married 33 years, they were together when he died with pancreatic cancer. he insted on working up to the end, filming scenes for "the beast" betwe bouts of chemotherapy. a line he delivered on m.a.s.h. still applies to patrick swayze. >> it seems to me, i have a right to do what i want with the time i have left. >> reporter: today, there are flowers on his star in hollywood's walk of fame. george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. >> we also learned today, the women who inspired the 1979 film, "norma ray" died. sally field starred in it. it was about a woman who led the fight in the textile plant in the south. her name was crystal lee sutton. she died over the weekend of cancer. she was 68 years old. >>> when we come back here tonight, why we might never look at the washington monument the same way ever again. fortunately, there's enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, fatigue, and stop joint d

he met his wife of 33 years lisa niemi when at age 15 she began taking lessons at his mother's studioer his dancing ability led to broadway, he landed tv and movie roles, playing young tough guys in "the outsiders" and red dawn." then came his big break. in "dirty dancing," swayze got to show off the moves he learned as a teenager and his acting chops, as well. >> nobody puts baby in a corner. >> "dirty dancing" is a movie that is a touchstone for a generation. >> reporter: it catapulted swayze on the top of hollywood's a-list and title of hollywood's sexiest man alive in 1991. he could still play tough guy in "road house," but was able to show his sensitive side in shows like "ghost." and he wasn't afraid to make fun of himself. swayze's chippendale's skit with chris farley ranks as one of the all-time funniest moments on "saturday night live." in january of 2008, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and received a standing ovation on the stand-up to cancer live television special. >> tonight i stand here, another individual living with cancer. if i leave this earth i want to leav

my heart goes out to his wife and childhood sweetheart, lisa niemi, to his mom, patsy, and to the restre on the life and career of patrick swayze, let's bring in larry hackett, "people's" managing editor. good morning to you. >> morning, matt. >> we've been following this story on and off for the last 20 months. i would imagine you folks at "people" have been following the events of the last several weeks. what have you been hearing? >> as some people may know, he was planning on having an autobiography coming out. and in the last week or so there was an abrupt change in those plans. the reporting last night is that his condition had worsened, he had been taking new chemo treatments. some of the folks on "the beast" had seen him at one of his ranches and said clearly the chemo was taking an effect. he remained vital and forward thinking and positive but things were really starting to turn. >> let's talk about his career for a second. if he had only done "dirty dancing" and "ghost," it would have cemented his place in hollywood history. what was it about his performance that made such a

my heart goes out to his wife and childhood sweetheart lisa niemi, to his mom, patsy are and to the resttheir people. and rob lowe who starred with swayze is in toronto for an international film festival and had there to say. >> patrick lived a thousand life times in one life. he was an amazing cansdancer writer record producer actor horseman, and i'll remember him most for his enthusiasm his bravery, and how much he loved his wife lisa. >> joining us also from toronto bradley jacob, senior editor of u.s. weekly magazine. thanks for taking the time. >> of course. good more than toning to you. >> everybody there will last night echoed rob lowe's sentiment. what do you think made patrick swayze such a star? >> well, of course it was "dirty dancing." every young whom would came of age in the '80s and early '90s was there for some film watching it at sleep overs. this was the iconic movie. and looking back, it only made $60 million, but it did an incredible amount of work in people's hearts. this was his most famous role by far, it solidified him as a star. >> i agree. and then he did "ghost

. >> as he gets remembered for his work and charisma, i also think a secret jewel in his life, lisa niemiad each other. and it's a testament of strength. and you just don't see that. >> i've covered a lot of celebrity couples at "people" magazine. paul newman and joan woodward come to mind. i have never known a couple with a more beautiful love story than these two. and they were integral in each other's lives. both jennifer grey, who starred with him in "dirty dancing," and kelly lynch, who did "roadhouse" with him, said independently, you always saw lisa on the set. he needed her there. she helped him with lines. she knew the dance moves in "dirty dancing" better than he did. and she was such an integral part of his life. you know, most actors, tell their wives to stay away from the set. they have their sordid awares. it was patrick that said, you need to be there for me. >> character that was uncommon. on screen and off it. >> absolutely. >> boy, oh, boy. and with "the beast," he worked until the end, showing his dedication to the craft, as well. >> and his dedication to life. it was d

. >> swayze is survived by his wife of 34 years, lisa niemi, and his mother, patsy. here's some information now about pancreatic cancer from the national cancer institute. it's sometimes called the silent disease because early pancreatic cancer often does not come with signs. but as the cancer develops, symptoms can include pain in the upper abdomen or upper back, yellow skin and eyes, and lack of appetite. this year, an estimated 42,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the united states with more than 35,000 people dying from it. to find out more about the disease, this couincluding treao to www.cancer.gov. >>> police say the killing of yale university student annie le was no random act and the medical examiner expects to have more information later today. our mary snow tells us, students on campus are still trying to make sense of what's happened. >> she was always kind, generous, honest -- oh, caring and the list just keeps going. >> reporter: natalie powers speaking out for the first time about her roommate, annie le. yale students held a vigil just hours after aut