Inside Kris Kristofferson's 41-Year Love Story with Wife Lisa: 'This Is What Really Matters'

The actor and country music legend died on Sept. 28 at age 88

When it came to love, the third time was the charm for Kris Kristofferson.

The late actor and country legend found his happily ever after with wife Lisa Meyers, to whom he was married for 41 years before his death on Sept. 28 at age 88.

"I feel nothing but gratitude for being this old and still above ground, living with the people I love," he told NPR in 2013. "I've got eight kids, and a wife that puts up with everything I do, and keeps me out of trouble."

Kristofferson was fresh off his second marriage, to singer Rita Coolidge, when he first met Meyers — then a law student at Pepperdine University — in 1982 at a Malibu gym.

Related: Kris Kristofferson, A Star Is Born Actor and Country Legend, Dies at 88

In a move that the A Star Is Born actor later admitted was “a ploy” to speak to Meyers, he asked to borrow a piece of equipment, and the rest was history. The pair tied the knot in February 1983, and went on to welcome kids Jesse, 40, Jody, 39, Johnny, 36, Kelly, 34, and Blake, 30.

“At the time, I was gun-shy about any relationship heavier than a one-night stand. The road had been my escape, going out and pouring it all into performing,” Kristofferson told PEOPLE in 1998 of meeting Meyers. “[But] as my family started getting bigger, it finally beat its way into my consciousness: ‘Wake up, man. This is what really matters.' "

The couple raised their children in Hawaii — and Kristofferson said in the same PEOPLE interview that moving to the islands and starting a family with Meyers was “the best move I ever made.”

In Hawaii, they found a peaceful existence, and in a 2015 interview with Las Vegas Magazine, the Grammy winner said his daily routine included a “walk with my wife.”

As Kristofferson’s health deteriorated over the years (he was diagnosed with Lyme disease after previously being misdiagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and fibromyalgia), Meyers remained his biggest supporter — and became his fiercest advocate.

“We understand Kris’ deficits in spatial awareness and short-term memory loss and we laugh about it all the time,” she told HuffPost in 2016. “The more we can get Kris to laugh, the healthier he is. Being on the road, the laughter, the music. It’s great medicine."

Related: Who Is Kris Kristofferson's Wife? All About Lisa Meyers

Kristofferson was at home in Maui when he died “peacefully,” surrounded by his family, a representative for the star said. He is survived by Meyers, their children, and his three children from previous marriages: Tracy, 62, Kris Jr., 56, and Casey, 50.

"It is with a heavy heart that we share the news our husband/father/grandfather, Kris Kristofferson, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 28 at home,” the family said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all."

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