Audrey Hepburn once said: “The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” ThebrSouthlake couples you’ll meet in the next few pages are living this statement. They’ve been together through decades of life’s ups and downs, and they still smile, laugh and hold hands.brFor anyone who wishes for a lifetime of love, get inspired by these couples.
Pete and Jean Standbridge MARRIED NEARLY 60 YEARS
The two met on a blind date and say it was love at first sight.brThey tied the knot September 29, 1956, and less than three monthsbrlater, Pete got drafted. This didn’t keep them apart, though. When hebrattended basic training in Fort Bragg, one of the world’s largest U.S.brmilitary installations, Jean followed. And when Pete was shipped tobrGermany, Jean went too. The newlyweds were inseparable.br
The Standbridges didn’t wait long to start a family—and expandbrit. Their first son was born in an Army hospital in Germany, and threebrmore children quickly followed. With fewer than six years betweenbrtheir daughter and three sons, Pete and Jean had their hands full andbrtheir budget stretched.br
“We weren’t very wealthy in the early years,” Pete says. “We hadbrto tell the kids often that they couldn’t do the same things that othersbrdid just because there were four of them. It was hard to say no to somebrthings, but we got through it.”br
“My feeling was that we could get through anything as long as webrwere together,” Jean says.br
Jean stayed home to raise their children while Pete built a career inbrthe insurance business, working for the same company for 41 years.brThe family shifted cities often for his job, moving to Virginia, NewbrYork and New Jersey, and finally settled in Chicago for 25 years. ThebrStandbridges moved to Watermere, Southlake’s luxury retirementbrcommunity, about four years ago to be closer to their two childrenbrwho live in the Metroplex.
Though their address changed a few times, their faith andbrtheir family traditions remained firmly rooted. “No matterbrwhere we live, church is an integral part of our life,” Jean says.brAs for traditions, the Standbridges always took a Christmasbrphoto and enjoyed the holiday at home. “Grandparents werebrinvited,” says Jean, “but Christmas was always at our house.”br
As the children grew up and had kids of their own (Petebrand Jean have eight grandchildren), their traditions evolved.brNow, the Standbridges trek around the country from onebrhouse to another, sometimes traveling on Christmas day tobrspend time with family members. “We think our kids shouldbrhave their own traditions,” says Jean.br
When it comes to building traditions with loved ones, thebrchildren are following in their parents’ footsteps. All four ofbrthe Standbridges’ kids have been married for over 20 years.brPete and Jean didn’t know they were setting such a sparklingbrexample for their children; they simply treated each otherbrwith respect and consideration. They were never big onbrbuying gifts for each other (“If we want something, we gobrout and buy it,” says Pete), but they always make a point tobrcelebrate their anniversary with dinner at Truluck’s.br
As they reflect on their many decades of marriage, theybrrealize their golden years are indeed golden. “One of thebrluckiest things was having our children young,” Pete says.br“When they left, we played even harder. We were youngbrenough to enjoy the empty nest rather than fret about it.”br
“We’ve been so fortunate and blessed,” Jean says. “We havebrmany happy memories.”
Some of the standouts, she says, include a Disney cruise inbrcelebration of her 65th birthday, and family reunions in fun-brfilled destinations such as Steamboat Springs and Vail. Petebrsays they were able to enjoy more adventures as the kids gotbrolder simply because there was more money available. “Fourbrtuitions, with no loans involved, is not easy,” he laughs.br
These days, the Standbridges are often traveling nearbrand far to various events for their grandchildren, whetherbrit’s lacrosse, soccer, choir performances or graduations.brThey’re also avid golfers and hit the links at Sky Creek Ranchbrin Hidden Lakes when the weather is pleasant. Whateverbrthey’re doing, as long as they’re together, they’re happy.br
Jean says that Pete “is the most loyal person you’d everbrwant to meet. I love being able to snuggle up next to himbrevery night.” And about Jean, Pete says that he loves howbrmuch “she cares about people, beyond family. She’s verybrconsiderate.” And, he adds, “I love her cookies and breakfastbrcakes.”br
Friday the 13th might be an unlucky day for some, but notbrfor the Standbridges. They’ve been lucky in love for nearly sixbrdecades.
Words of wisdom: ''Don't fight. If you get angry, don't stay angry. It is not worth it. Also, don't spend a lot of time worrying about what's wrong, think about what's right and works.''
George and Carolyn Contos MARRIED NEARLY 54 YEARS
When George Contos first laid eyes on his wife, Carolyn, he wasbrlovestruck. So much so, in fact,
Ever since he ran into that wall, George knew that Carolyn wasbrhis match. “We had all kinds of people we could have dated, but therebrwas never any doubt that she was the one,” he says. “Sometimes you’rebrlucky in love, and I was.”br
The couple’s love story begins as a classic romance between abrfootball player and cheerleader. The two dated all through high schoolbrin Corpus Christi, and two weeks after graduation, the young lovebirdsbrgot married. They wed on June 15, 1962, and then headed off to college.br
With the Vietnam War raging at that time, George began receivingbrnotices to be drafted. But Carolyn had no plans to send her new husbandbroff to war. “Carolyn, in her infinite wisdom, decided that if she wasbrpregnant I’d get a deferment,” he says. “So our plan of not havingbrchildren until after we both graduated college went by the wayside.”br
“He didn’t get drafted, though,” Carolyn laughs. She dropped out ofbrcollege to raise their only child, James, while George balanced workingbrfull-time along with his college courses. They lived in college housingbrand had to provide for their young family by themselves. Life got morebrchallenging when Carolyn was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis inbr1967. “Things were tough, but we stayed together,” she says. “That’sbrjust who we are.”br
Things for the Contos’ began to tick upwards after Georgebrgraduated from college and started working for a junior college. Hebrworked hard, earned a good reputation, and was brought to NorthbrTexas to help start Tarrant County Junior College, known now as TCC.
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Carolyn went back to school once their son startedbrgrade school. She enrolled at the junior college andbrthen continued her education at the Universitybrof North Texas, earning a Bachelor’s, Master’s andbreventually a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. “Once shebrgot going in college, she didn’t know when to quit,”brGeorge jokes.br
Carolyn started her own practice, workingbronly with people who had a physical disability.brAlthough they were focused on their careers andbrraising their son, the couple always made timebrfor each other. Many of their favorite memoriesbrare from their backpacking trips together, wherebrthey’d pack freeze-dried food and explore thebrColorado Rockies for weeks at a time.br
“Those backpacking trips were the best,” Georgebrrecalls. “It was just the two of us together, seeingbrthings that not many other people have seen. Webrhave a lot of beautiful memories from those trips.”br
The couple enjoyed an active lifestyle for years,brand even when Carolyn had to start using a scooterbrin 1984 as a result of the multiple sclerosis, it didn’tbrdampen her spirit.br
“Carolyn made up her mind that she’s goingbrto be as active as she could be,” says George. “Thebrscooter doesn’t hamper her at all.”
One of their favorite things to do now is to meet up with otherbrcouples at Watermere, where they’ve lived for two years. “We gobrto dinner to socialize,” Jean says. “The table we’re at is always thebrbiggest and loudest table.”br
They also enjoy going to movies, plays and simply laughingbrtogether. “We’re always cutting up,” says George. “We banter backbrand forth. We have so much fun together.”br
The couple says that their marriage has only gotten strongerbrafter being together more than a half century. They hold handsbrand do little things out of love. George brings Carolyn coffee inbrthe morning and gets her flowers. “I don’t wait for Valentine’sbrDay or our anniversary,” he adds. “I do it to say ‘I love you and I’mbrthinking about you.’” Carolyn likes to leave small gifts or lovebrnotes for George to show her affection.br
While a circle of friends in the Watermere communitybrcertainly enriches their lives, they say that all they really need tobrbe happy is each other. “We’d rather be each other’s company thanbranybody else’s company,” says George. “A lot of times, when youbrget to be our age, you see the men go off in one direction and thebrwomen in the other direction. When you see one of us, you seebrthe other one.”br
Together is all George and Carolyn want to be. And in goodbrtimes and bad, that’s exactly what they’ve always been.
Words of wisdom: ''Take your marriage vows seriously. If you're married long enough, you'll test most, if not all of them. When challenges come up, too many people cut and run. Be commited to your marriage.''
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Jim and Betty Welch MARRIED NEARLY 39 YEARS
Not all couples find love the first time around. For Jim and Betty Welch, lastingbrlove came as a second marriage. The two met in San Francisco while travelingbrin 1964. Betty, a beautiful airline stewardess, and Jim, a handsome professionalbrfootball player for the Baltimore Colts (now the Indianapolis Colts), felt anbrimmediate attraction. The connection was so powerful for Betty that she recallsbrlooking at Jim and thinking: “I love him.”br
They talked, exchanged contact information and flew back to theirbrhometowns—Betty to New York and Jim to Baltimore. When Betty returnedbrhome, she rushed to her mailbox, eager to see if Jim had sent any correspondence.brWhat she found was devastating: Jim sent a letter apologizing that he wasbrmarried and had two children.br
“And that was it,” says Betty. “It broke my heart.” With Jim always in thebrback of her mind, Betty moved on. She married another man, Bob, and had twobrchildren. In the 1960s, she says, that’s what most women wanted: to be marriedbrwith children. She was living her dream, yet she never forgot about Jim.br
“I always knew what was going on with him, and he knew what was goingbron with me,” she says. Bob was also aware of Betty’s feelings. “He knew all aboutbrJim. He was a good husband and a loving father, but I wasn’t in love with him,”brBetty says. “I didn’t want to love anybody like I loved Jim.”br
In 1974, a decade after the two met, Jim called to let Betty know that he wasbrgetting a divorce. The couple met for lunch, and Betty knew it: She was still inbrlove with him.
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“I went through several years of trying times,” Betty says. “Jim never pressured me tobrdivorce Bob. But I eventually knew it was something I had to do for me.”br
Betty divorced Bob and exchanged vows with her longtime love on August 17, 1977brin the iconic Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City. She and Jim thenbrdanced the night away at their wedding reception at the Rainbow Room.br
The newlyweds, who had six children between them, settled into their blended-brfamily life in New York and later Wyckoff, New Jersey (they moved to Trophy Club inbr2001 to be closer to family). Betty stayed home to care for the children while Jim workedbron Wall Street. A few years after they got married, the thought of having another childbrcrossed their minds. But with a full house and Betty at age 38, they were doubtful she’dbrget pregnant. Life, like it often does, had a surprise in store for them. Their son, JohnbrDavid, was born August 5, 1981, which happens to be Betty’s birthday.br
“He was the best birthday present I’ve ever received,” says Betty. Altogether, thebrcouple has seven children, 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.br
Jim and Betty have shared a romance that could very well be a popular Hollywoodbrflick or a best-selling novel. “When I tell my story to people, it’s like a Nicholas Sparksbrbook,” she says. Their love story shares many similarities to The Notebook—right downbrto the heartbreak of Alzheimer’s.br
Jim was diagnosed with the disease six years ago. That’s the main reason the couplebrmoved to Watermere—to get topnotch care. Though they’ve had help from theirbrbeloved caregiver, Jeannette, for nearly two years, Jim now requires 24-hour assistance.brHe recently moved to Isle at Watermere, which offers memory-care support, while Bettybrcontinues to live in their condo with their Pomeranian, Prince. They reside in separatebrresidences now, but they still see each other daily. Betty visits Jim for dinner eachbrevening, and the two are content just being together.br
Betty lost her mother to Alzheimer’s and understands how things go. “I’m having abrhard time because I don’t want to let him go. I lost him once and we got back together.brI feel like I’m losing him again, but I know I’m not,” she says. “He’s the same incrediblebrand loving man I met 51 years ago.”br
Still, she counts her blessings. “I’ve been so blessed, even with what we’re goingbrthrough now,” she says. “We’ve had the most beautiful relationship. I thank God that Hebrhas given us such a good life.''
Words of wisdom: Be patient and support each other, cherish every moment and never go to bed mad.