school fundraisers, hospital fundraisers and more.

And they are still going strong. August serves as an usher at the 9:30 a.m. Mass as he has done for 55 years. Rita has been an active member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas just as long. Together, they still serve in the St. Vincent de Paul Society at the parish, helping those in need in the local community.

“The need is so great … mortgage, rent, car insurance. I don’t know how these people are doing it,” said August, a retired director of production at Grumman.

Playing Santa

One of their favorite things to do together is to drop off Christmas presents to families, said Rita. Last year, they delivered gifts to a single dad raising a large family. The father was so grateful, he cried. “We went home and cried ourselves,” Rita said. “It gives us such satisfaction. It makes us thank God for our blessings.”

“God has been so good to us,” Rita said, recalling their love story. “Auggie was friends with my brother. On my 16th birthday, he was at the house. We walked out into the hallway and he asked me, ‘Have you ever been kissed?’ And I said, ‘Of course, my mom and dad kiss me all the time!’”

He leaned over and kissed her.

“I stood there, straight like this with my mouth open!”

“She was like a mummy!” he agreed with a laugh.

After that, they were a pair. Whether it was meeting at the Parthenon for a movie, sipping ice cream sodas for 10 cents, or meeting for a mid-day meal on their lunch break, they were always together.

Now, they share a different meal together every day at 7:45 a.m. They go to Mass to say, “Thanks.”

“We have a lot to be thankful for,” said August. They are hoping for one more blessing, “to celebrate our 70th anniversary together,” said Rita, crossing her fingers.

August, noting his carpal tunnel syndrome, couldn’t quite cross his fingers, so he dramatically used his other hand to do it. They laughed.

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This story was made available to Catholic Online by permission of The Long Island Catholic(www.licatholic.org), official newspaper of the Diocese of Rockville Centre on Long Island, N.Y.

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