(Photos by Christina Claus)
Port Washington couples celebrate decades of marriage
Valentine’s Day is a holiday filled with romance, flowers and candy hearts, but it is also a day when North Hempstead couples gather to renew their marriage vows at the Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington. On Feb. 14, couples who had been married for 40 to 75 years came out to the eighth annual Valentine’s Day Marriage Vow Renewal ceremony to reaffirm their commitment to one another and celebrate their marriages.
“The renewal of vows is very special,” said Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth. “It’s a heartwarming event where we can have an affirmation of love that exists in this town. You walk around and hear the stories of all the couples who have been through so many changes throughout their lives, but through it all they’ve stuck together.”
Local couples enjoyed a three-course lunch and a champagne toast after Town Clerk Wayne Wink officiated the vow renewal, first making the husbands stand to recite vows followed by their wives doing the same. The ceremony ended similar to their wedding day—with a kiss.
“It’s a labor of love because to see all these couples and to know they’ve been married for such a long time is great,” said Wink, explaining why he officiates each year. “They’ve gone through good times and bad times together, but they’ve made it through. It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring them all together to renew vows and celebrate good times.”
Tom and Barbara Faticone have been married for 60 years, having met in high school, saying they saw one another and “just knew.”
“I graduated ‘53 and she graduated ’54,” said Tom. “We were going to get married in ‘55, but before we got married I was on the draft list for the Korean War, so I said ‘let’s wait a year and I’ll volunteer the next year and when I come out we’ll get married’ and that’s what we did. We got married in ’57.”
“Patience and trust,” said Barbara, explaining the key to a long-lasting marriage. “You have to really love each other. It’s not easy. Don’t listen to anyone that tells you it’s easy, but you have trust, you have love. He’s so good with our children, he’s a great father. You have to stick together and love each other.”
While the Faticones have been married for 60 years, Port Washington residents Carol and Tim Mockler have been married for 42 years.
“We met in a discotheque, a bar for teens, and I asked her to dance,” said Tim.
“We are so totally different,” said Carol. “We’re definitely more different than we are similar, so we’re always surprising each other.”
Ah, love.
