An Acton, Ont. couple is celebrating a momentous milestone that most don’t get to see.
June 18 was Lorraine and Russell Davis’ 75-year wedding anniversary.
The occasion marks over seven decades of significant life moments together: the joys of having six children, 21 grandchildren and 41 great grandchildren; the heartache of outliving and burying many loved ones; the hard work of raising and supporting a large family; and the triumph of having a very comfortable retirement and maintaining their independence at the ages of 92 and 94.
To think, this enduring love story all started with a simple note passed at work.
“I thought she was cute,” said Russell, thinking back to when he met Lorraine in 1948 at the Neilson's chocolate factory in Toronto, where he operated the freight elevator and she made boxes for ice cream.
“So I sent a note with my friend to her saying, ‘Will you go out with me?’”
“I sent the note back saying, ‘OK,’” recalled Lorraine. “I was impressed; he was tall, had clean fingernails, and didn’t wear floods like all the young men back then.”
After marrying in 1949 at the ages of 17 and 19 — so young that Lorraine’s father had to sign permission for the nuptials to happen — the couple settled in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood and started a family, going on to have five girls and one boy.
During this time, Lorraine held down the homefront while Russell provided for the family in a variety of ways, ranging from delivering milk by horse and wagon to joining the Toronto Fire Department, where he served over three decades and became the divisional chief of training.
“When Russ worked shift work, he was never home, because he had a part-time job so we could have groceries,” said Lorraine. “That’s the way it was back then, and I took care of the house and kids.”
This enduring support of one another has served them well over the years as they’ve coped with the heartaches life can deliver, including the loss of two adult children.
Lorraine has also stood by Russell in all of his thrill-seeking adventures, from obtaining his pilot’s license to buying a motorcycle in his 70s — a mode of transportation he only gave up this year.
“My wife is just a wonderful person,” emphasized Russell.
To this day, the couple enjoys spending quality time together and goes out for breakfast every morning, with Stacked Pancake House in Georgetown being one of their favourite spots.
So what’s their secret?
“I put up with him, he puts up with me,” said Lorraine with a laugh. “We got married so young, and everybody said it’s not going to last. But you know what? We’re the last ones left.”
Their daughter, Sherry Brown, said she thinks much of her parents’ success in life and marriage boils down to their outlook.
“As people get older, they talk a lot about their past. But most of the time, mom and dad talk about their future,” she said.
“Mom is saying, ‘I’m going to live to 100.’ And they still live in their own house. They look to their future, and I think that’s how they stay young, and how they’ve been able to be married as long as they have.”