Jennifer Grey, who appeared alongside Patrick Swayze in his 1987 breakout film Dirty Dancing, is remembering the late actor, who died Monday evening after a nearly two year battle against inoperable pancreatic cancer.

“Patrick was a rare and beautiful combination of raw masculinity and amazing grace,” Jennifer said in a statement to The Insider overnight. “Gorgeous and strong, he was a real cowboy with a tender heart. He was fearless and insisted on always doing his own stunts, so it was not surprising to me that the war he waged on his cancer was so courageous and dignified. When I think of him, I think of being in his arms when we were kids, dancing, practicing the lift in the freezing lake, having a blast doing this tiny little movie we thought no one would ever see. My heart goes out to his wife and childhood sweetheart, Lisa Niemi, to his mom, Patsy, and to the rest of their family.”