His movies seemed to have captured the flavor of teen movies of the 80's ... Outsiders, Red Dawn, Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Roadhouse, Point Break. I enjoyed his roles in them all.
What impressed me more, though was his behavior off screen. Of his fellow "Brat Packers" (Charlie Sheen, Judd Nelson, Rob Lowe, C. Thomas Howell, etc.), he seemed to have been well grounded as a person. You rarely heard about him in the tabloids on a drug, sex, or arrest related escapade. He was married to the love of his life for more than 3 decades, almost unheard of in Hollywood.
R.I.P. Mr. Swayze. Condolences to his family and loved ones. His memory lives on in film. :sigh: