Joseph and Florette Fortune celebrate 65 years of marriage
“Right after we met” was what Joseph Fortune said when asked when he knew his wife, Florette, was the one.
When the Fortunes said “I do,” back on Jan. 16, 1954, Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon were the president and vice president of the United States, “Oh! My Pa-Pa” by Eddie Fisher was the Billboard №1 song played by DJs, while “Rags to Riches” by Tony Bennett was the most popular song played in jukeboxes.
Things changed over the years, but the couple’s love for each other stayed the same. The Fortunes recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary at the Active Day facility in Washington Township alongside friends, family and other members of the adult day care.
Joanne Wilson, the Fortune’s oldest daughter, spoke about her parents’ marriage.
“I’ve seen them grow in their love through the ups and downs of marriage,” she said. “I watched them every day, I’m the primary caregiver, along with my sister and brother. I’m in the house with them so I see the love continue to grow every day as they get older.”
Joseph and Florette were candid with their answers when asked about the secret of lasting love and happy marriage. Joseph said simply, “Just love,” while Florette said, “Trust in him and love.”
Sometimes it’s best to keep it simple. Wilson gave an example of that.
“When they go to bed they always look at each other,” she said of her parents. “They face each other at night so that when they close their eyes they’re the last person they see. When I go in at night to check on them, that’s what I see.”
Director of activities at Active Day, Coretta Davis, told a brief history of the Fortune marriage. She said the couple enjoyed traveling and gardening in their spare time.
“Florette and Joseph were known for their amazing veggie and flower gardens and would bring fresh flowers to the altar for church services,” Davis said.
Davis continued, describing her relationship with the Fortunes, noting they were there when she started her position at Active Day roughly seven years ago.
“From day one, they were loving and kind,” she said. “They were the first family to welcome me when I came here.”
When it comes to planning events like this, Davis said it can be difficult because they need to make sure the event is engaging.
“They [the members] go through so much to get out of bed and come here,” she said. “They may be hurting that day, they may be angry or sad that day. It doesn’t matter, when they come here I have five hours to change that and make them have a quality day. It’s challenging but rewarding.”
After coffee, hot chocolate, tea and milk were distributed it was time to cut the cake and hand out cupcakes in celebration of 65 years of happy marriage.
