Patsy Swayze obit

Longtime Houston dance instructor, choreographer Patsy Swayze dies at 86

 

She was not on the list.

 

HOUSTON—Houston native Patsy Swayze, the late actor Patrick Swayze’s mother, died Monday night after suffering a stroke earlier this month. She was 86.

The longtime dance instructor and choreographer passed away just two days after the anniversary of her son’s 2009 death.

"Patsy was an inspiration, a role model, and just an all around amazing human being to thousands of people all across the world and her Legacy will forever be remembered," granddaughter Danielle said on Facebook.

Swayze’s surviving son, Don, and other family members were by her side and holding her hands when she died.

Patsy Swayze was best-known for choreographing movies like "Urban Cowboy" and "Hope Floats."

She taught dance in Houston for several years before moving to Simi Valley, California and opening a dance studio there.

Former students remembered her fondly Tuesday for her passion for dance – and for them.

She would give. She would stay at the studio till 9:30, 10 o’clock if somebody needed her," said Krissy Richmond, Director of the Kinkaid Dance School. "She loved what she did. She has always treated her students like they were her own kids."

Boy, she could do a mean tap dance," said former student David Greiss.

The TUTS marketing director took lessons from Patsy and remembers Patrick stopping by after football practice.

"We called it a football costume, which he just hated, but he’d take off his football costume and he’d put on his dance togs and dance with the best of us," Greiss said.

Patrick Swayze met his wife, Lisa Niemi, at his mother’s Houston dance studio on Ella.

"You could take Patsy out of Houston, but you could never take Houston out of Patsy," Niemi said.

Patsy, her husband Jesse Wayne and their five children lived on Wakefield Street in Garden Oaks and, later, on Del Norte near T.C. Jester.

Patrick Swayze died of pancreatic cancer at age 57.

 

Additional Crew

Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi in One Last Dance (2003)

One Last Dance

5.3

choreographer

2003

 

Picnic (2000)

Picnic

5.0

TV Movie

choreographer

2000

 

Letters from a Killer (1998)

Letters from a Killer

5.4

choreographer

1998

 

Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr. in Hope Floats (1998)

Hope Floats

6.0

choreographer

1998

 

Problem Child 3: Junior in Love (1995)

Problem Child 3: Junior in Love

3.3

TV Movie

choreographer

1995

 

Donald Sutherland in Younger and Younger (1993)

Younger and Younger

4.9

choreographer

1993

 

Ronald McDonald in McDonaldland (1963)

McDonaldland

7.3

TV Series

choreographer

1988

1 episode

 

Big Top Pee-wee (1988)

Big Top Pee-wee

5.1

choreographer

1988

 

Matt Dillon and Cindy Fisher in Liar's Moon (1981)

Liar's Moon

5.8

choreographer

1981

 

Urban Cowboy (1980)

Urban Cowboy

6.4

choreographer

1980

 

Director

Swayze Dancing (1988)

Swayze Dancing

6.3

Video

Director

1988