7 October 20, 2011 THE EVANGELIST MARRIAGE JUBILEE BY JAMES BREIG “Love is lovelier,” goes the old song, “the second time around.” Bill and Pat Walsh of Our Lady of Victory parish in Troy are living that lyric. After each lost a spouse, they found each other — through the internet. “I had WebTV, hit a button and landed on [a website called] ‘Catholic Singles,’” Mrs. Walsh recalled. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I thought sites like that were for younger people and I was too old. “But they had a special: three months at no charge. So, I went looking for a nice gentleman in this area to take me out to dinner or a movie — and then say, ‘Good night.’” Mrs. Walsh, a native of Binghamton, earned a nursing degree at The College of Saint Rose in Albany and took a job at St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy: “I thought I would work there for a year to make it look good on my resume and then go back to Binghamton.” Instead, she remained at St. Mary’s for 33 years and then worked in home health care. Now 76, she retired in 1994. Bronx-born and Yonkers- raised, Mr. Walsh began to work at IBM in 1953 and moved around the country. In North Carolina, he also ran an 83-acre farm and built a shrimp boat. After he retired, Mr. Walsh, who is about to turn 82, moved to Florida. Then he put his pro- file on www.catholicsingles.com. Mrs. Walsh had married late in life. She had no children. Her husband, Lawrence, died after only seven years of marriage. Mr. Walsh had been married 53 years to Stella; they had seven kids. She passed away in 2003. When Mrs. Walsh scrolled through profiles on the website, she noticed someone identified as “countryboy88.” She remem- bers that “I liked his resume, but then I saw his picture and thought, ‘I will never write him.’” Meanwhile, Mr. Walsh — A.K.A. countryboy88 — saw her entry and thought, “She looks like an ex-nun with that short haircut and plaid jacket.” But Mrs. Walsh admitted, “I kept going back and looking at Bill’s picture — every night.” “You were hypnotized,” joked her husband. “Actually, it was because she was from Troy and noticed that I had worked up- state. I wrote her, and she replied, ‘I can’t write because I’m doing Christmas cards,’” a com- ment he found baffling. As they continued to corre- spond online, their long-dis- tance relationship warmed. “I was anxious to meet her,” Mr. Walsh recalled, “but my kids were worried.” One of Mrs. Walsh’s friends warned her that if she ever met Mr. Walsh in person, she was not to get into his car, because “I don’t want to find pieces of you scattered all over.” Finally, Mrs. Walsh told her online friend that she was com- ing to Florida with friends for a break from winter in New York and wondered if he would like to meet her in person. Mr. Walsh emailed, “Yes, let’s have a date on Sunday and start with Mass.” Mrs. Walsh answered, “Can a friend come with me?” “As long as she doesn’t sit between us,” Mr. Walsh said, though he thought, “She lives 1,300 miles away. What could happen?” What happened was dinner, a quick courtship, marriage at Our Lady of Victory Church and his move to Troy. The couple winter down south. Mrs. Walsh said that widowed people shouldn’t think their own life has ended. “You can and should go on and live your life,” she counseled. “My husband told me to marry again and not be alone.” Losing a spouse “leaves such a void in your life,” Mr. Walsh added. “You do everything with them — and then they’re gone. I cried myself to sleep many a night after my wife died.” When Mrs. Walsh finally met all of her new husband’s rela- tives — children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren — she said, “It was sort of over- whelming, but I felt I had to say something. I thanked them for accepting me. One of his sons grabbed me and said I was all right.” Added Mr. Walsh: “We’re opposite sides of the coin, but we get along. We like to hug and hold hands.” ONLINE DATING Widowed couple found each other on the internet BILL & PAT WALSH Treasured Melodies Music from the Archives of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception The Cathedral Choir and Orchestra directed by Thomas F. Savoy Friday, November 18th, 2011 8:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Albany, New York Music drawn from its musical archives dating from 1876-1936. Composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Hummel, St. Requier, Thomas, and Dubois are represented. Compositions by the distinguished Canadian organist/composer Leandre Arthur DuMouchel also figure prominently in the collection. Professor DuMouchel presided as Director of Music of the Cathedral for some forty three years (1876-1919), writing several works specifically for the Cathedral choir of the time. $10 at the door $5 for seniors and students For more information please call 518.463.4447. Music at Your Cathedral ª ª ª rekindle passion! renew romance! enhance communication! your your your It is ALL waiting for you on a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend! For information: Call 518-279-3243 or 1-877-NYSWWME E-mail: [email protected] www.mealbany.org MARRIED COUPLES HIT A HOME RUN FOR YOUR RELATIONSHIP. How would you like the opportunity to slow down and get away for a weekend? You can spend a weekend away from distractions and the hustle and bustle of every day life. UPCOMING WEEKEND: Nov. 19, 20 Comfort Inn, Latham
Evangelist N22 #2
Mar 19, 2016
renew romance! Forinformation:Call518-279-3243 or1-877-NYSWWME E-mail:[email protected] www.mealbany.org enhance communication! Friday,November18th,2011 8:00p.m.atthe CathedraloftheImmaculateConception ONLINE DATING rekindle passion! MusicatYourCathedral ItisALLwaitingforyouona WorldwideMarriageEncounterWeekend! your your your $10atthedoor$5forseniorsandstudents Formoreinformationpleasecall518.463.4447. ª ª ª TheCathedralChoirandOrchestra directedbyThomasF.Savoy Albany,NewYork
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7October 20, 2011 TH E E VA NG E L I S T
MARRIAGE JUBILEE
BY JAMES BREIG
“Love is lovelier,” goes the oldsong, “the second time around.”
Bill and Pat Walsh of OurLady of Victory parish in Troyare living that lyric. After eachlost a spouse, they found eachother — through the internet.
“I had WebTV, hit a buttonand landed on [a website called]‘Catholic Singles,’” Mrs. Walshrecalled. “I didn’t know what Iwas doing. I thought sites likethat were for younger peopleand I was too old.
“But they had a special: threemonths at no charge. So, I wentlooking for a nice gentleman inthis area to take me out to dinneror a movie — and then say, ‘Goodnight.’”
Mrs. Walsh, a native ofBinghamton, earned a nursingdegree at The College of SaintRose in Albany and took a job atSt. Mary’s Hospital in Troy: “Ithought I would work there for ayear to make it look good on myresume and then go back toBinghamton.”
Instead, she remained at St.Mary’s for 33 years and thenworked in home health care.Now 76, she retired in 1994.
Bronx-born and Yonkers-raised, Mr. Walsh began to workat IBM in 1953 and movedaround the country. In NorthCarolina, he also ran an 83-acrefarm and built a shrimp boat.
After he retired, Mr. Walsh,who is about to turn 82, movedto Florida. Then he put his pro-file on www.catholicsingles.com.
Mrs. Walsh had married latein life. She had no children. Herhusband, Lawrence, died afteronly seven years of marriage.Mr. Walsh had been married 53years to Stella; they had sevenkids. She passed away in 2003.
When Mrs. Walsh scrolledthrough profiles on the website,she noticed someone identifiedas “countryboy88.” She remem-bers that “I liked his resume, butthen I saw his picture andthought, ‘I will never write him.’”
Meanwhile, Mr. Walsh —A.K.A. countryboy88 — saw herentry and thought, “She lookslike an ex-nun with that shorthaircut and plaid jacket.”
But Mrs. Walsh admitted, “Ikept going back and looking atBill’s picture — every night.”
“You were hypnotized,” jokedher husband. “Actually, it wasbecause she was from Troy and
noticed thatI hadworked up-state. I wroteher, and shereplied, ‘Ican’t writebecause I’mdoing Christmas cards,’” a com-ment he found baffling.
As they continued to corre-spond online, their long-dis-tance relationship warmed. “Iwas anxious to meet her,” Mr.Walsh recalled, “but my kidswere worried.”
One of Mrs. Walsh’s friendswarned her that if she ever metMr. Walsh in person, she was notto get into his car, because “Idon’t want to find pieces of youscattered all over.”
Finally, Mrs. Walsh told heronline friend that she was com-ing to Florida with friends for abreak from winter in New Yorkand wondered if he would like tomeet her in person.
Mr. Walsh emailed, “Yes, let’shave a date on Sunday and startwith Mass.”
Mrs. Walsh answered, “Can afriend come with me?”
“As long as she doesn’t sitbetween us,” Mr. Walsh said,though he thought, “She lives1,300 miles away. What couldhappen?”
What happened was dinner, aquick courtship, marriage atOur Lady of Victory Church andhis move to Troy. The couplewinter down south.
Mrs. Walsh said that widowedpeople shouldn’t think their ownlife has ended. “You can andshould go on and live your life,”she counseled. “My husbandtold me to marry again and notbe alone.”
Losing a spouse “leaves such avoid in your life,” Mr. Walshadded. “You do everything withthem — and then they’re gone. Icried myself to sleep many anight after my wife died.”
When Mrs. Walsh finally metall of her new husband’s rela-tives — children, grandchildrenand even great-grandchildren —she said, “It was sort of over-whelming, but I felt I had to saysomething. I thanked them foraccepting me. One of his sonsgrabbed me and said I was allright.”
Added Mr. Walsh: “We’reopposite sides of the coin, butwe get along. We like to hug andhold hands.”
ONLINE DATING
Widowed couple found each other on the internet
BILL & PAT WALSH
Treasured Melodies
Music from the Archives of the
Cathedral of the Immaculate ConceptionThe Cathedral Choir and Orchestra
directed by Thomas F. Savoy
Friday, November 18th, 2011
8:00 p.m. at the
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Albany, New York
Music drawn from its musical archives dating
from 1876-1936. Composers such as Haydn,
Mozart, Hummel, St. Requier, Thomas, and
Dubois are represented. Compositions by
the distinguished Canadian organist/composer
Leandre Arthur DuMouchel also figure
prominently in the collection. Professor
DuMouchel presided as Director of Music
of the Cathedral for some forty three years
(1876-1919), writing several works specifically
for the Cathedral choir of the time.
$10 at the door $5 for seniors and students
For more information please call 518.463.4447.
Music at Your Cathedral
�
�
�
rekindle passion!
renew romance!
enhance communication!
your
your
your
It is ALL waiting for you on a
Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend!
For information: Call 518-279-3243
or 1-877-NYSWWME
E-mail: [email protected]
www.mealbany.org
MARRIED
COUPLES
HIT A HOME RUN FOR YOUR
RELATIONSHIP.
How would you like the opportunity to
slow down and get away for a weekend?
You can spend a weekend away from
distractions and the hustle
and bustle of every day life.
UPCOMING WEEKEND:
Nov. 19, 20
Comfort Inn, Latham
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