The Ghost actor, who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in September, and Lisa Niemi were on the verge of divorce when they sought help to repair their relationship.
Patrick wrote in his memoir Time of My Life: In my heart, I’m gone, Lisa confessed. But out of the blue I felt a surge of love for Lisa I hadn’t felt for years. We cried, our tears washing away the pain that had been keeping us so far apart. We started talking, really talking.
The couple then wrote I will forget the past 10 times on a piece of paper, which they buried beneath an avocado tree.
Patrick, 57, and Lisa, 53, were married for 34 years at the time of his passing and were childhood sweethearts.
Their relationship difficulties started after he finished shooting 2003 movie One Last Dance.
Patrick became depressed and turned to alcohol, having received rehab treatment for his addiction 10 years before.
Patrick wrote: I started drinking again to numb myself to the creeping feeling of despair.
As I sank deeper into this hole and drank more and more, Lisa didn’t even recognise me. For years I had been dealing with my demons feelings of inadequacy, fears I was never good enough.
Seeing me depressed was scary for Lisa and my response frightened her.
Lisa ended up packing her bags and leaving, moving into an apartment 20 minutes from their Los Angeles home.
The pair reconciled when Patrick was making 2004 movie King Solomon’s Mines in Africa, but their relationship was poisoned by mistrust and bitterness.
After seeing the psychic they decided to give their marriage another chance.
Shortly afterwards, in January 2008, Patrick discovered he had pancreatic cancer.
A source said: The cancer drove home how much they had to lose. That’s when Lisa finally forgave him for putting her through hell.
