Love story: Loretta and Lee Sinnickson

Loretta, née Manzella, Sinnickson of Center Moriches recalls the misunderstanding that led to a first date with her husband, Lee.

I moved from Bayside, Queens, in 1966 with my family out to Newport Beach in East Moriches, "the country," as we called it.

My husband Lee's family moved from Center Moriches to Newport Beach in 1968, while he was serving with the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam.

When he got out of the service in April 1969, he bought a boat and a motorcycle. Almost every evening that summer he would pass by my house on his motorcycle as he headed to the marina.

After noticing him several times, I made a point to be outside when he would come by. I'd find something to do like wash the car or walk the dog.

Lee noticed me and asked his younger brother about the girl he saw washing her car at the house on Newport Beach Boulevard. His brother, who went to school with my kid brother, told him that there were two sisters. They were from Queens and one girl was 21 years old, the same age as Lee.

One evening on his way to the marina he stopped and asked me out. I was so excited. Lee showed up the next day on his motorcycle. My father said, "You are not going out on a motorcycle!" So Lee came back with his father's car. Years later he told me that, right then and there, he thought this would not work out.

It was Labor Day weekend, and he took me to the Merrick Inn in Westhampton. We were meeting his motorcycle friends, and here he was pulling up in his dad's station wagon.

Inside I was asked for proof of age, and I proudly took out my driver's license showing I had recently turned 18. Lee said, "You're what? I was told you were 21!"

"Oh, that's my sister," I said. Once again that night he realized that this might just be the beginning of the end.

We had a great time together, though, and from then on we were inseparable. We wed on July 18, 1971. I rode on the motorcycle with him just once before we sold it.

We have two children, a son-in-law and a daughter-in-law and are also blessed with two adorable granddaughters. We enjoy beach camping here on Long Island. Life has been good to us. We have had 40 wonderful years together and are still as inseparable as when we met.