The late Maya Angelou once said, Love recognizes no barriers.

That certainly holds true for Hal and Phyllis, who recently celebrated their 60 ^th wedding anniversary.

Hal lives in the Grand Island home where they raised their family while Phyllis, who has dementia, is a resident at Rosa Coplon Living Center. Although they no longer share their lives under the same roof, it’s evident that their love and commitment is as strong as the day they said, “I do.” 

Hal, 84, and Phyllis, 83, first met in 1957 at a young adult group that gathered for religion and socializing on Sunday evenings at St. Paul’s Methodist Church in Niagara Falls. After a two-year courtship, they became engaged on Valentine’s Day 1959 and were married that fall. The newlyweds honeymooned in the Poconos – with a side trip to New York City to see “The Music Man” – and bought their first home in Lewiston. Hal was in the early years of his career at Hooker Chemical/Occidental Petroleum in Niagara Falls, where Phyllis worked as a secretary. She became a stay-at-home wife and mother following the birth of their two children, David and Amy.

“Phyllis was the best kind of homemaker,” Hal recalls proudly. “She was there when our children came home from school, taught them good habits, and prepared them to become responsible citizens.”

In 1973, the family moved to Grand Island. In addition to being devoted parents, the pair were active in their community. Phyllis did volunteer secretarial work for the Grand Island Help Center and Hal held numerous roles as a leader and mentor for the Boy Scouts of America. An Eagle Scout as a youth, he served as a Scoutmaster for three years, an Explorer Post advisor for 30 years, and a District Committee member for more than 20 years, receiving the Silver Beaver Award in 1995. In gratitude for his tireless service to Scouting, Hal recently received the 70 Year Veteran Award and a Sparkplug Award.

“Phyllis has always been very supportive of my Scouting activities – even during my years of monthly Scouting camping weekends when she was home alone with our children,” Hal explains, noting that she willingly served as a chaperone for Explorer Scout co-ed activities. 

Married life shifted for the couple when Phyllis suffered a stroke in 2016. After a stay in rehab she was able to return home for six months and cared for herself with Hal’s help. In March 2017, Phyllis was diagnosed with dementia. Hal made the difficult but necessary decision to move his wife to Rosa Coplon Living Center.

“She receives the best of care here – something that I could never provide her at home,” says Hal, who since retiring in 1996 has continued to work part-time as a chemical-environmental engineering consultant for area companies.

Seven days a week, Hal makes the 20-minute drive from Grand Island to Weinberg Campus to visit his beloved wife. Although dementia has robbed Phyllis of her short-term memory, she still recognizes the love of her life and lights up when she sees him walking down the hallway toward her. When Hal arrives each day, Phyllis rushes to him and gives him a hug. She cherishes the pictures of her children and on many days, she carries them around with her.

In addition to enjoying many mutual interests during their decades of marriage, including traveling and attending theatre and playhouse performances, the couple share a love of wildlife and birds. Their property on Grand Island is surrounded on two sides by woods and a large yard brimming with flower gardens, hanging baskets and bird feeders, providing a perfect backdrop for birdwatching.

Hal happily reports that Phyllis continues to enjoy her favorite pastime from a new vantage point at Weinberg Campus.

“At Rosa, Phyllis still likes to look out the windows, watching geese fly by overhead or counting them one-by-one as they walk on the ground below. It brings her so much joy,” Hal says with a smile.

     

Weinberg News extends a very special thanks to Hal for sharing his story and photo with our publication.

Mary Beth always gives 100% to ensure residents are cared for. She also gives extra - she trained new staff; attended outreach visits at rehab centers; revised interview questions for aides; initiated training on customer service and resident rights with the HR Educator and Ombudsman; and she came in extra hours on weekends, evenings and nights to offer support and assistance. She is highly respected by our families and is a great asset to our team.

During routine landscaping maintenance, a tree grinder bob cat was in the enclosed courtyard. When a resident started to go outside, Clarissa was watching. "She came out of nowhere and told the resident to come inside and be safe." Thank you to Clarissa for ensuring that resident safety is a top priority!

Bobbie is very attentive to our Mom. He is always in a happy mood and makes sure all of her needs are addressed. He is always busy helping residents and I've never once seen him sitting around. Mom feels best on the days he's working as she knows he'll take great care of her with a smile on his face. All CNAs should strive to be like Bobbie.