Lucky in love

Ninety-five year old Edith Marotto died on Sunday, May 1.

Four days later, her 98-year-old husband, Frank, joined her.

Edith and Frank

They were married for 72 years and lived in Staten Island, New York.  They raised three children, and have seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Edith loved baking cookies and pies, especially at holidays. Frank was a church usher for half a century and worked bingo games till he was 94. Everyone adored them.

How many times have we heard stories like this? A surviving spouse of a long-married couple literally dies of a broken heart within days or weeks.  I read on the Johns Hopkins website that the stress of a loved one’s death can, indeed, cause a heart attack. Instead, I’d like to think that Frank couldn’t stand the idea of living without Edith. It’s much more romantic than those boring medical explanations.

David and I were marveling just the other day that we’ve survived each other for almost nine years. Seventy-two years! Phenomenal.  Brother-in-law, Russ, told me about Edith and Frank.  He and FOF sister, Shelley, have been married 40 years.  I’m betting on them.

 

0 Responses to “Lucky in love”

  1. Duchesse says:

    Yes, stress can trigger a very specific type of heart attack.

    “Join him” and “be lonely without him” are assertions in which I don’t believe. People have different ideas about an afterlife. While I respect that-because who really knows- I prefer another view: they had 72 loving years together, that’s it- and those happy years were a wonderful thing.

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  2. Kate Line Snider says:

    It is so touching to read about this , but not surprising to me. He knew she would be lonely without him!

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  3. Heather Chapple says:

    SO nice…so hard!

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