How did your love story begin?

Bob got transferred from a Navy ship in Japan to the Ship I was on in California and he was assigned to stand watch under instruction with me. I wasn’t interested in him at first and even turned him in for not doing his job, but he was persistent and when our ship decommissioned, he asked to help me drive back to South Carolina so he could save on airfare. Somewhere between the west coast and the east coast our love story began.

What is your favorite memory you've shared as a couple?

After almost 40 years, there are many. When we first got married and stationed together, we lived in an apartment. The military didn’t pay much and we struggled with rent and 2 car payments and I remember we pawned a cannon camera to go to the commissary on base to get a few groceries that we could stretch into a week of meals, such as bread and macaroni and cheese. We could have asked our parents for help, but we wanted to make on our own. Those are great memories cause we did it together.

What would you do with $20,000?

Bob was stationed in California and I was stationed in Florida, he flew to Florida and we got married and rented a room on base for a few days and then he had to leave, so we have never had a honeymoon. We have always wanted to go to Hawaii and/or Paris. That may sound frivolous, but we aren’t getting any younger. Everyday is a blessing and we have to embrace it.