Sean Swayze Mourned: Hollywood Legend Patrick Swayze’s Brother Dies at 63 After Sudden Health Crisis

Sean Swayze, younger brother of Dirty Dancing and Ghost star Patrick Swayze, has died at the age of 63 after suffering a severe upper gastrointestinal bleed linked to complications from liver cirrhosis. His death, which occurred in mid-December 2025 in the Los Angeles area, has left the Swayze family facing another heartbreaking loss more than a decade after Patrick’s passing from pancreatic cancer in 2009.​

Sean Swayze’s Death: What Happened?

According to his death certificate and the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Sean Swayze died in Los Angeles on December 15, 2025, from an acute upper gastrointestinal bleed. The bleed was caused by severe metabolic acidosis, esophageal varices, and alcoholic liver cirrhosis, indicating long-term liver damage that ultimately became fatal.​

His son confirmed the news to outlets, and the death certificate notes that Sean was 63 at the time of his passing. He was later cremated on December 19, 2025, with arrangements handled in Los Angeles County.​

Sean Swayze Remembered by Family

Sean Swayze’s cousin Rachel Leon publicly shared the news of his death in an emotional Instagram post in December 2025, calling him “always fun and full of life.” She revealed they had recently been talking about him coming to visit family in Texas and that he had posed in themed T‑shirts to honor Patrick Swayze at a Dirty Dancing–inspired crawfish event, wearing them proudly for the family.​

In her tribute, she sent love and condolences to Sean’s brother Don Swayze and his children, saying the family was “praying hard” for everyone affected and that Sean would be deeply missed. The posts captured how much he was loved within the extended Swayze family circle, even though he lived largely outside the Hollywood spotlight.​

Who Is Sean Swayze?

Sean Swayze was born on October 13, 1962, in Texas, one of the younger siblings in the Swayze family, which also included older sister Vickie, brothers Don and Patrick, and younger sister Bambi. He was the son of Jesse Wayne Swayze and Yvonne (often known as Patsy) and grew up in Houston, Texas, before eventually building a life and career in and around the entertainment industry.​

Unlike his world-famous brother Patrick, Sean worked mostly behind the scenes as a Teamster in the entertainment business, contributing to productions through transportation work for more than three decades. Records also note that he had served in the U.S. Army and that he was a widower at the time of his death.​

What He Was Known For

Professionally, Sean Swayze was known within the industry as an entertainment Teamster, handling transport and logistics for film and TV productions rather than appearing regularly on camera. He is also credited with work on the 1998 film Letters from a Killer, which starred his brother Patrick, and is listed in the transportation department on that project.​

Outside of credits, friends and family remember Sean as someone who stayed closely tied to the Swayze legacy while still carving his own, lower‑profile path. Family tributes describe him as lively, fun, and supportive, especially when it came to honoring Patrick’s memory at events and themed promotions.​

Sean’s death comes more than 16 years after Patrick Swayze died from pancreatic cancer in September 2009 at the age of 57. Patrick, known globally for Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Road House, and many other films, battled the disease for about 20 months before passing away with his family at his side.​

In later years, Patrick’s widow Lisa Niemi Swayze has continued to work with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to raise awareness and funding in his honor, emphasizing that the fight against the disease did not end with his death. Sean’s passing adds another layer of grief for a family already associated in the public mind with both Hollywood success and painful loss.​

Sean Swayze: Family, Survivors, and Personal Life

Sean Swayze is survived by his children—Cassie, Kyle, and Jesse—as well as his brother Don Swayze and sister Bambi Swayze. Reports indicate that his daughter Cassie was listed as the informant on his death certificate, underscoring how closely involved his immediate family was in his final arrangements.​

Though he never pursued the same level of fame as Patrick, Sean remained part of the broader Swayze story: a working‑class industry figure with deep family roots in Hollywood, remembered by loved ones as warm, energetic, and deeply connected to his siblings’ legacy.