They have been alive for over a century, but they’re still both young at heart. An elderly couple in Ohio, living in the same assisted-living facility, revealed how they keep the spark alive in their twilight years, and got married last month.
John and Phyllis Cook are now both over 100. John is a World War II veteran who just turned 100 recently, while Phyllis will turn 103 on Aug. 8. Phyllis’s own mother lived to the ripe age of 106.
Both were widowed twice during the course of the last century.
The couple, who both live at the Kingston Residence in Sylvania, near Toledo, started dating about a year ago before falling in love. They took the logical next step together and got their marriage license in late June of this year.
It only made sense, they explained.
“Well, we were just compatible in a whole lot of ways, found ourselves enjoying each other’s company,” he added, describing the harmonious relationship he has with his new bride.
Phyllis, who is a devout Christian, says that marriage was the natural culmination of the relationship that bloomed between them.
“To tell you the truth, we fell in love with each other,” she confessed. “I know you think that may be a little far-fetched for somebody our age, but we fell in love with each other.”
The couple also disclosed one of the secrets to their happy relationship: respecting each other’s space. Rather than moving into a single apartment together, their accommodations remain separate, the same as before they tied the knot.
“What we do, we keep both of our apartments. He’s upstairs and I’m down,” Phyllis explained.
And despite their limited mobility, getting around by electric scooters, they spend plenty of time together. They enjoy sitting outside in the sun and sharing meals together.
It just goes to show that it’s never too late to fall in love.
When Jay Hannah from WNWO-TV asked John what their favorite thing to do together is, he cheekily responded with a broad smile, “Well, I probably shouldn’t talk about that.”
After a century of life experience, the spark lives on.
