So Happy Together

by Laura Breen Galante

Inspired by Lake Mary Life’s owners, Sheila and Michael Kramer – who recently celebrated their 50th anniversary – we are featuring couples who chose to make our community their home and have experienced 50 years (or more!) of wedded bliss. We hope you enjoy reading their love stories as much as we did collecting them.

Rich and Margie Sloane of Oviedo, 54 Years

Margie was a nursing student at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, where she had joined the United States Navy to see the world. Rich was in Naval school training in Newport. Although Margie was dating Rich’s buddy at the time, as soon as his friend’s ship left port, Rich asked Margie on a date. The rest, as they say, is history.

They married on October 17, 1970, in Margie’s hometown of Cranston, Rhode Island. Because both were Naval officers, they were honored with an Arch of Swords salute at their wedding and held their reception at the Newport Officers’ Club.

The Navy sent the Sloanes to many ports during the couple’s life together, which meant moving nearly 10 times in 18 years. The frequent moves brought challenges, of course, but also adventure.

“Laughter and patience will get you through most anything in life,” says Margie.

The couple settled in Oviedo in 1988, where they still reside. Rich retired from the military in 1991 but didn’t stop working. He served as director of the Oviedo-Winter Springs Regional Chamber of Commerce and as an administrator at the University of Central Florida until retiring in 2018. Margie and Rich have two daughters and four grandchildren they fondly refer to as superachievers.

Bob and Kat Feder of Oviedo, 53 years 

Kat and Bob met at Mobil Oil Corporation, albeit not in person initially. Although they were employed by the same company, Kat worked in Waltham, Massachusetts, while Bob worked in Hartford, Connecticut. The two got to know each other over the phone, and before they ever met face to face, Bob had already proposed. They married in Becket, Massachusetts, on September 12, 1971, in a ceremony officiated by Bob’s father, who was the local justice of the peace. For her wedding, Kat wore the style of the day – chiffon hot pants.

The Feders lived in Massachusetts and Colorado before moving to Lake Mary in 1998. The couple, former business owners, are now residents of Oviedo. They have two daughters, including one who is an elementary school principal in Seminole County; six grandchildren; and four         great-grandsons. 

“Work is what you do, but family is who you are,” says Kat. “If you put God and family first, the rest will follow.”

Their 50th anniversary happened during the Covid-19 pandemic, derailing their big vow renewal celebration. Instead, the Feders had a small family party with Zoom calls from friends and relatives. Bob and Kat were so touched by the calls that they couldn’t help but reminisce about those long ago work calls that led to their life together.

Bennie and Patricia Pope of Oviedo, 73 Years 

Patricia was selling tickets in the box office of  the Imperial Theatre in Griffin, Georgia, when Bennie, a handsome young man dressed in his military uniform, stepped up to the window to buy a ticket. It quickly became apparent, however, that Bennie was much more interested in talking to Patricia than seeing a movie. He worked up the nerve to ask her for a date, which was the start of a long romance. The two were married on November 8, 1951, in Zebulon, Georgia, and spent their honeymoon in Warm Springs, the Peach State’s home to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Little White House historic site. Thus began their mutual lifelong love of history.

The Popes have three daughters, three grandsons, and five great-grandchildren. More than a decade ago, the couple traveled to Hawaii to celebrate their 60th anniversary and renew their wedding vows.

Bennie and Patricia’s relationship is guided by the tenet that they are two individuals with their own personal goals. 

“We respect each other’s differences and enjoy being in each other’s world,” says Patricia.

Fred and Sharon Strickland of Winter Springs, 62 Years

Sharon and Fred were high-school sweethearts. They met when they were 16 at a dance hall above the Knights of Columbus building that was part of their church. They began dating in 1957 and were married on Thanksgiving day, November 22, 1962, at St. Simon’s Catholic Church in Washington, Indiana.

In 1979 they moved to Maryland, where Fred worked as a test engineer for aircraft as a contractor for the U.S. Navy. Sharon also worked for the Navy as an office manager and drove commuter vans to and from Washington, D.C. The Stricklands have two daughters, a son, five grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Fred, whose career required a lot of traveling, says the secret to a long and healthy marriage is to “keep close with the family. As the kids grew up, we took them everywhere.”

As a couple, Sharon and Fred listen to and support one another. After Fred’s retirement in 2004, the family moved to Casselberry the following year. Later, the couple settled in Winter Springs, where they still reside.

Ron and Kathy Folden of Longwood, 56 years

Kathy and Ron met as teenagers at a bowling alley in Gahanna, Ohio, and dated off and on for about five years. When Ron was drafted into the United States Army, the couple married at Fort Rucker (now Fort Novosel) in Enterprise, Alabama, on July 6, 1968. Ron was sent to Vietnam, and when he returned a year later, the two moved to the Devonshire neighborhood in Longwood.

After a few years, the couple moved to Wekiva in Longwood, where they still reside today. The Foldens have two children and five grandchildren. 

Ron got a job at Walt Disney World when it opened, and the family spent many fun-filled hours together at the theme park until he retired. Kathy worked for Seminole County Public Schools for 40 years. She retired after 32 years but returned to work at Woodlands Elementary School for another eight years.

The Foldens’ song, “Happy Together” by The Turtles, epitomizes their years together. Kathy says they simply try to enjoy each day, because life goes by so fast.

Herb and Terry Langston of Longwood, 52 years

In 1970, Terry was a Vietnam War widow with an infant daughter and in need of legal advice. At the time, every household that had lost a family member met with a survivors’ assistance officer who recommended an attorney. Terry’s attorney was Herb Langston, who helped her navigate through several issues. Eight months later, the two began dating, and a year after that, in July 1972, they married. 

The Langstons have a blended family of five children – including Terry’s daughter and Herb’s three children from his first marriage. Sixteen months after the Langstons were married, they welcomed a daughter together. They also have eight grandchildren.

The couple bought a home in Longwood and have lived in the same house for 52 years. The Langstons celebrated their 50th anniversary in Charleston, South Carolina, surrounded by their children and grandchildren. Even after all these years, Terry and Herb consider themselves to be best friends.

“Young couples should work on their marriage from day one,” says Terry, “to make it a priority and foster the relationship apart from all else.”

Mike and Cathy Garrett of Longwood, 53 years

Cathy grew up in Hawaii, but her family later moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where Mike was born and raised. The two met while working for a restaurant chain, where Mike was a manager and Cathy was a hostess. On January 31, 1972, the two had their first date, and they became engaged two weeks later on Valentine’s Day after being struck by Cupid’s bow. 

In May of that year, Mike was transferred to California, but that wasn’t the end of their love story. Cathy flew to California a couple of months later, and they married in a small ceremony on July 21, 1972.

The Garretts moved to Florida in 1974 and settled in Seminole County in 1977. They have four children and 17 grandchildren. The Garretts have owned their own company for 35 years, which their sons now manage. Cathy fondly remembers their early years together, when Mike ran the company and she did the bookkeeping by hand, while taking care of four kids at home. She offers this sound advice for other couples:

“Stay out of debt and don’t spend more than you make,” she says, “but do spend time with your children because you’ll blink, and the years will be gone. And don’t give up when things get hard – strive for an eternal family.”

Chuck and Diannie Healy of Longwood, 51 years 

When Chuck started working as a flight instructor at the municipal airport in Wheeling, Illinois, Diannie – an office worker there – checked out the new guy as he walked past her office window. Diannie liked what she saw, and the feeling was mutual. The two started dating in June 1972 and were married in September 1973. 

The couple spent their first two years of married life in Illinois, where they both grew up. In August 1986 they moved to Longwood, where their paths crossed with the author of this article after their moving van went to the wrong house. [Writer’s note: the two families have been dear friends ever since.] 

Chuck worked as a pilot, flying commercial and private jets for 35 years until the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when he transitioned to teaching students using a flight simulator. Diannie worked for Seminole County Public Schools, the Winter Park Police Department, and the State Attorney’s Office. They have a son, a daughter, and four grandchildren – all Seminole County students.

Chuck and Diannie have set sail on more than 65 cruises over the course of their marriage, including a big family cruise around the time of their 25th anniversary. The Healys are always laughing and don’t sweat the small stuff. 

Davie and Joyce Sims Longwood, 71 years 

Joyce was raised in DeLand, and Davie grew up in Winter Park. In 1951, the two met on a blind date when Joyce was a freshman in nursing school at Orange Memorial Hospital (now Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center). Davie went home after the date and told his mother that he’d met the girl he was going to marry. Davie was right, but he had to wait a while because nursing students weren’t allowed to marry until three months before graduation. The two finally wed on June 13, 1953, at College Park First United Methodist Church in Orlando.

The Sims have lived in Seminole County since 1965. In 1972, Davie was elected to the Seminole County School Board, where over two terms he helped build and air-condition two new schools, computerized grading systems, and dealt with integration and union issues.

The Sims also owned and operated a business in Winter Park that ultimately employed 125 people, working together for 30 years while raising their three children. They now have 12 grandchildren and   16 great-grandchildren.

Joyce and Davie celebrated their 60th anniversary with a family reunion in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and have toured the Holy Land and the Greek Islands. Today, the Sims are residing in a senior living community in Longwood and enjoying a well-earned retirement. 

Hans and Jane DeVaughn of Sanford, 50 years

Jane and Hans met in math class at Florida Technological University (now the University of Central Florida) in 1972. She and her family had moved to Altamonte Springs in 1971 from the Buffalo, New York, area. Hans was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, and had immigrated to the United States when he was seven, settling in Brevard County.

When Hans proposed to Jane in May 1973, he got creative by hiding an engagement ring in a box of Cracker Jack popcorn – quite a prize to find. The two married on April 6, 1974, at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Altamonte Springs and had their reception at the former Rolling Hills Golf Club in Longwood. 

Except for their first year together, the DeVaughns have lived their entire married life in Seminole County. They spent 26 years in Longwood and have resided in the Lake Forest community in Sanford since 2002.

Hans worked for Stromberg-Carlson (now Siemens) in Lake Mary and retired in 2005. Jane taught math at Teague Middle School in the 1970s, took 10 years off to raise their family, and then taught at Greenwood Lakes Middle School and Lake Mary High School before retiring in 2006. 

The couple have two daughters and four grandchildren and enjoy visiting them as often as they can.

Michael and Sheila Kramer of Lake Mary, 50 years

After graduating from college, Sheila and Michael both found themselves living in Manhattan. The two met at a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by their respective cousins, who were married to one another. Their first date was December 11, 1974, and it obviously went well, because the couple married on January 18, 1975. Did you do that math? Two things led to the pair’s speedy courtship.

“We had immediate trust,” says Sheila, “and also, Michael’s lease was up.”

“And Sheila’s apartment was much nicer than mine!” quips Michael. 

That illustrates another trait the Kramers share – a sense of humor. Both Sheila and Michael love games, politics, theater, and music, but most of all, they love to laugh.

In 1987, when their two children, Samantha and Benjamin, were eight and three, the couple quit their corporate jobs, sold their home in New Jersey, and with no prospective jobs, moved to Lake Mary. Michael pursued a new career as a professional musician. Sheila became the publisher of a magazine called Lake Mary Life.

For their 50th anniversary (and 75th birthdays), the Kramers took their children and grandchildren on a trip to Hawaii to celebrate a life of everlasting love... and of course, laughter!

Bill and Amber Stefanisko of Lake Mary, 53 years 

Amber has lived in Seminole County since 1964, and Bill moved here in 1971 after serving in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. Bill was attending Seminole Junior College (now Seminole State College) when he met Amber, who came home one afternoon to find him working on a car with a friend of her family’s. Soon, they were on the fast track to a future together.

The couple married on June 26, 1971, at what is now Community Church in Casselberry, and they’ve lived in Lake Mary ever since. They have three sons, a daughter, and two granddaughters, who all reside in the area.

Communication and kindness toward one another have ensured a long and fulfilling marriage for the Stefaniskos. The couple’s fondest memories are of the births and marriages of their children, and now they delight in spending time with their grandchildren.

Paul and Grace Ingwalson of Lake Mary, 56 years 

Grace and Paul met at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, in 1964 when Paul’s fraternity and Grace’s sorority teamed up to rake leaves. They dated for a couple of years before Grace transferred to Cornell University School of Nursing in New York and then began a long-distance relationship.

In the spring of Paul’s senior year, the pair got engaged. After Paul’s first year of graduate school at Georgia Institute of Technology and Grace’s last year at Cornell, the two married in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in August 1968. Post graduation, they spent a year in Milledgeville, Georgia, and then moved to Seminole County in 1975, when Paul got a job with the Coca-Cola Company Foods Division. Grace worked at Orlando Regional Medical Center, now part of Orlando Health. 

The Ingwalsons lived in Longwood in the Woodlands neighborhood for seven years and then built a house in Hanover Woods in Lake Mary, where they’ve lived for the past 42 years. Grace and Paul have two daughters and two grandchildren. Memories of the couple’s 56 years together include vacations touring national parks, summer trips to their family cottage, canoeing on the Wekiva River, and a wonderful 50th anniversary party. 

Paul offers these words of marital wisdom for young couples: “Share work, share fun, share problems, and share successes.”