They met in middle school when they were 15. Elaine was Roland’s first crush and he was hers. They dated throughout high school and graduated in 1953. Fifty years later, they reconnected at their high school reunion when love blossomed again. They married in March 2024 when they were 88 . Read on to find out more about this truly wonderful love story.
Hey, Christie!
I am thrilled that Tyler and I are going to have the most amazing wedding later this year at Ainsworth House & Gardens!!! Thank you for making the planning such a fun experience!
OK, I have a question. Tuesday night, we were having dinner with my sister, Amy, who loves to tease Tyler. It’s all friendly kidding around stuff. Anyway, Amy suggested that we apply to the Guiness Book of World Records people to see if Tyler took longer than any other groom to propose—in our case, it’s been 10 years from “hello” to “I do.” He laughed and said that Roland Passaro already held that record.
Who is Roland Passaro???
Thanks!–Bella the Bewildered in Beaverton, Oregon
Hey, Bella!
That’s a great question and I have a great answer for you! It’s a sweet story!
It took Roland Passaro 73 years to progress from “hello” to saying “I do” with his high school crush, Elaine Hall.
They grew up a few blocks apart in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
They met when they were 15.
As Roland recalled, they used to dance at parties held at the YMCA. He said, “She was hot. She was the smartest girl in class and knew the answer to every question.”
Elaine has fond memories too. “Roland was as handsome as could be, he was the star player, and all the girls liked him but he liked me, so that was nice.”
At their 50th. high school reunion in 2003, they reconnected. Even though both had married other partners, raised children to adulthood, and enjoyed successful careers, each had a special place in their heart for their first crush. “There was an attraction between us that night,” Hall told the Washington Post. “When I went over to say goodbye, he leaned over and gave me a kiss.”
Their courtship progressed at a pace comfortable for those from the 1950’s. They wrote letters and enjoyed phone calls between her home in Pennsylvania and his in Florida. Elaine cherishes this as a “magical time.” After a Christmas visit to his home in the sunny south, Elaine finally moved there to be with him.
They have so much in common. “We are both family-oriented–devoted to our kids and grandkids and now our great-grandkids,” said Roland.
Together, they are a partnership.
Roland’s son from his first marriage, James Passaro, said that Elaine and Roland are “…so adorable at the golf course [because Elaine tells Roland where his ball landed since he] can’t see very well.”
Last October, they decided to get married.
On March 23, 2024, the two got married at the Grand Haven Village Center in the gated community where they live in Palm Coast, Florida. He was escorted down the aisle by his two sons and she by her two daughters.
It only took them 73 years to go from “hello” to “I do.”
Your friend in the wedding business,
Christie Shyne
Images and quotes are courtesy of People.com.
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