{"id":9749,"date":"2011-12-30T15:07:22","date_gmt":"2011-12-30T21:07:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?p=9749"},"modified":"2016-09-30T17:35:00","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T21:35:00","slug":"tying-the-knot-at-91","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2011\/12\/tying-the-knot-at-91\/","title":{"rendered":"Tying the knot at 91"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

You might consider this sweet story the flipside to that Italian divorce saga<\/a>. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Details: <\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

A couple at a retirement home got married Wednesday \u2014 both at age 91 \u2014 a reminder that it\u2019s never too late to start a new phase of life.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Margaret McSpadden and retired Air Force Col. William Thomas, both residents at Bishop Gadsden on James Island, tied the knot in a ceremony in the chapel.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something I didn\u2019t expect,\u201d said the colonel, who turns 92 today and still exudes energy.<\/p>\n

He was vice commander of the 437th Airlift Wing at the Charleston Air Force Base when he retired in 1971. He was President Dwight Eisenhower\u2019s personal pilot for eight years, according to his family.<\/p>\n

He flew cargo over the Himalayas between India and China during World War II.<\/p>\n

Margaret owned the Goat Cart antique shop on St. Michael\u2019s Alley until the late 1970s. Her maiden name was Stone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re very happy,\u201d said Margaret, who looks remarkably younger than her age. \u201cWe think can spend another 12 years together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Margaret and the colonel had been friends for more than 40 years, according to Kimberly Farfone, Bishop Gadsden\u2019s development director. Along with their spouses, they had shared dinners, played golf and traveled together.<\/p>\n

Both lost their spouses within the last two years. Margaret moved into an assisted-living apartment next to the colonel when her husband died. The friendship became a romance, and then a marriage. The Rev. Joseph DiRaddo, also a resident, presided over the ceremony Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Two of the colonel\u2019s daughters said they were not surprised, knowing their father.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it didn\u2019t surprise me; he\u2019s very resilient,\u201d said Sandy DeRousse of Santa Barbara, Calif. \u201cThey are an inspiration to all of us. You just realize with the right state of mind there isn\u2019t anything we can\u2019t do.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read more.<\/a><\/strong> Bless them both.\u00a0 Ad multos annos! <\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You might consider this sweet story the flipside to that Italian divorce saga. Details: A couple at a retirement home got married Wednesday \u2014 both at age 91 \u2014 a reminder that it\u2019s never too late to start a new phase of life. Margaret McSpadden and retired Air Force Col. William Thomas, both residents at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[11180],"class_list":["post-9749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marriage","tag-marriage"],"yoast_head":"\nTying the knot at 91<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You might consider this sweet story the flipside to that Italian divorce saga. 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