Love Story: Despite Dad's best efforts, young couple had traditional wedding

Harriette Oransky of Melville recalls her courtship with her future husband, Murray, and her father’s sense of humor.

On New Year’s Eve 1967, I had no plans and was going to stay home and type a term paper for a friend. My twin sister was on a date, and my married brother was having a party at his Kew Gardens, Queens, apartment. At the last minute, one of his guests asked to bring a buddy of his who was on leave from the Air Force. My brother said, “Fine. I’ll ask my sister to come over.”

At the party, I was introduced to Murray Oransky. My name was Harriette Bettan then. I was 20 and Murray was 22. He had enlisted in the Air Force in 1963 and was serving as a medic at Stewart Air Force Base in upstate Newburgh. He was very pleasant, but things became awkward because we were the only single people there and the other guests, all married couples, watched to see how we were getting along. At the end of the evening, Murray asked me out on a date. I said, “Yes.”

After our date the next weekend, we returned to my house and I invited him in to listen to music and talk. Little did I know what my father and sister had in store for us. What a surprise when we went down to the finished basement and found cameras mounted on tripods opposite the couch with signs that said, “Big brother is watching you” and “Smile you’re on candid camera.”

Then the basement phone rang — we had two separate phone lines in the house. It was my father calling from the kitchen. He said, “I want to hear your hands clapping. If I don’t hear them clapping I’m coming down!” Well, Murray must have decided this was a fun family because he laughed and asked me out again.

In June 1967, Murray finished his military service. We spent a wonderful summer together; then he started classes at New York University. I was working for an insurance company. Since Murray lived in the Soundview section of the Bronx and I in Flushing, Queens, we mostly saw each other on weekends. He received his bachelor's degree in physical therapy in June 1972.

Meanwhile, we had gotten engaged in June 1968 and planned our wedding for the next June. My father, with his great sense of humor, kept encouraging us to elope so he wouldn’t have to “make a big wedding.” He would even lend us his car. I came home from work one day and found a ladder outside my bedroom window and Dad’s car keys in a can next to it. He took pictures of me coming down the ladder and Murray waiting for me.

We had a beautiful wedding on June 15, 1969, at The Israel Center of Hillcrest Manor in Flushing. Our honeymoon was on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten.

Dad had to get one more joke in, and it was the best. After the ceremony, he followed Murray and I as we walked back up the aisle holding a sign that read, “Furnished Room For Rent.” Everyone at the wedding wrote on the back how much rent they would pay.

Murray had his own physical therapy practice in Manhasset for 26 years. I worked the front desk. We retired in 2017.

We have a wonderful son and daughter, a great daughter-in-law and son-in-law, and a perfect grandchild. Our life together has been wonderful, filled with much laughter and love and beautiful memories with family and friends.

In June, Murray and I went out to dinner to celebrate our 49th anniversary. I look forward to many more happy times together. Life is good! And we are blessed.

—With Virginia Dunleavy