Love Story: At 75, they've promised each other 25 years of happiness

Mimi Wood talks about finding love late in life with Stuart Wood, who was finding love for the second time.

Stu and I met at Westhampton Presbyterian Church  in May 1985. He was married, and I was getting divorced. Stu, his wife, Marilyn, and I happened to join the church in Westhampton Beach on the same day. I lived in Remsenburg, and Stu and Marilyn lived in Westhampton. The three of us worked on different church committees and got to know each other well. I had always admired them and thought they were the perfect couple.

In 2017, Stu’s beloved wife of 50 years died from leukemia.

By then, I had been alone for 35 years, didn’t have children and had never thought, even remotely, about dating again, let alone getting married. Stu gravitated toward me as a friend to talk to. He would give me a hug each week in the coffee hour before rushing off to choir practice. I found him to be a very caring, supportive companion with solid values. No game playing there. I trusted him enough to open my heart to him knowing he would never trample on it. Our love blossomed pretty quickly.

We started dating in March 2018 and had a short courtship. We got engaged in June 2018 at a little private beach in Flanders and married on Sept. 16, 2018, in the Quogue Chapel at Westhampton Presbyterian Church. Our reception was at The Waterways clubhouse in Moriches, where I lived. We were both 75 years old and newlyweds! Stu sold his Westhampton home and moved into my condo. We eventually sold my condo and bought another one together in the same complex.

We enjoy outdoor activities like canoeing, which I had never tried before. It’s so peaceful. We’ll also pack a lunch and head to Smith Point County Park. If it’s cold, we don’t mind staying in the car eating lunch and watching the deer. We also enjoy going to our favorite beach in Flanders and to the Shinnecock Canal, where it’s fun to watch the boats go through the locks.

Stu’s daughter, Laura, and son-in-law, Mark, live in Allendale, New Jersey, with their two daughters, Olivia, 16, and Allison, 10. Stu's son, Randy, and his daughter-in-law, Ericka, and their children, Valentina, 12, and Diego, 8, live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. We enjoy visits with them.

I worked at what is now Bank of America for 20 years as an assistant vice president and branch manager, first at the Riverhead branch and then in Southold. I retired from PAR East Mortgage in East Hampton in 2007. Stu taught AP English at Westhampton Beach High School for 33 years before retiring in 2000. I volunteer at the Riverhead Rotary and our church, where I serve on the session (the governing body of the church) and head the Nominating Committee.

Stu volunteers with hospice through Camp Good Grief and serves as a hospice volunteer. He wears several hats at our church, serving on the session, singing in the choir and serving on the Mission Committee.

We have toured national parks out west and traveled to London, and we have a trip to Ireland scheduled for the spring. We celebrate each day we have together. We promised each other 25 years, but who really knows how long we’ll have together.

Love and life are great the second time around.

— With Ann Donahue-Smukler