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It's never too late to fall in love

Love can be found in the most unlikely of places, even Riverside Place retirement living.
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LOVE: Rose and Bob hold hands during their engagement celebration at their favourite local restaurant

Love knows no boundaries of age or time and can even find it’s way into the most unlikely of places.

Riverside Place seniors residence will host a marriage ceremony next month for live-in residents Rose Vellieux 87 and Bob Ray 92, and the bride and groom could not be happier.

“I think she’s the loveliest women in the world and I love her,” Bob said. “Age don’t mean a thing,” Rose said, with a humbling smile.

The couple met two years ago after Rose moved into the home. Playing Skip’O with a group of mutual friends proved to be the first thing they had in common.

“We love cards, we play crib too,” Rose said. “He’s skunked me and I’ve skunked him, it’s always a good time.”

At first, they always sat on opposite sides of the table. Since both of them are a little hard-of-hearing, they were always reaching across to get each others attention. “So I got them to start sitting beside each other so they didn’t have to reach across,”  Shirley Reeves 61 said, mutual friend and live-in resident. “That’s when I started noticing them getting closer.”

One day after dinner Rose saw Bob didn’t look so well. She asked if he would like a cold cloth on his forehead and he eagerly replied yes.

“He was so happy, he looked like he won a pot of gold,” Rose said.

From then on, Rose and Bob started to court each other. They would secretly hold hands under the table while playing cards and were even caught a few times by staff necking outside under the gazebo or on the couch in the laundry room.

“We all feel they were meant for each other because they just came together so nicely and truly love each other,” Shirley said.

Together, the couple has six children, 15 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren. Both of them were married just once before. Similarly, Bob was married for 62 years, Rose for 60 years and both lost their previous spouses to dementia. “I know we’ll be happy because we are so much alike in our old age. The way we think and our idea of things is so close,” Rose said.

The two plan to spend the rest of their days together and once married, Rose will move into Bobs room in the home.  “It would be nice to have Rose for another 60 years but time goes by so fast. It’s hard to believe the last ten years and how fast it’s gone. The older you get the faster time goes. You’d think i’d be the other way around but it’s not,” Bob said.

Playing cards, bingo, holding hands and loving one another continue to be their favourite past times.

“I can’t believe everyone is so happy for us. I’ve never had a life like that, I’m just so happy,” Rose said. “Right now is pure joy and it will be joy as long as we’re both alive.”

The honeymoon is booked for room 108 at Riverside Place.