Couple Who Served in WWII Together, Married for Seven Decades, Pass Away on Same Day

Love is no guarantee that a relationship will work. It is not based on genuine love and respect. It requires compatibility and relationship skills on both sides. Happiness, love and marriage require more than just love and attraction. Love stories that pass the test of time and leave traces in history are true inspirations that can restore our faith in love and commitment.

Love is, of course, an aspect of any healthy long-term commitment, but for it to be healthy, love is an important first step. Healthy adult love exists when partners are dependent on each other, that is, they love each other deeply, care for each other, desire physical closeness to each other, and respect each other enough for their own identity. Love is a precondition and a must. It is a relationship that requires effort, and for love to last, both partners must dedicate themselves to it. Relationships are not easy, but they bring us closer to a deeper part of ourselves.

We are multi-faceted and complex creatures. Your interests, opinions and experiences will change as you grow. If you share the same belief system, you have the platform to build a strong relationship.

Your partner may never be able to meet all your needs and interests. It’s fine to pursue separate activities and be friends outside of your partner. The last true love is when two people commit themselves to each other and decide to act so that their feelings for each other and their relationship to each other are maintained at all times.

The two were studying in Philadelphia when they met on a blind date. From day one, they knew they were destined to go through life hand in hand. When the United States entered World War II, they decided to join. Born on 17 October 1921, Preble Staver joined the Marines and eventually received the bronze star while Isabell Whitney, born on 31 October 1921, was a nurse in Maryland.

Five months after the end of the war they were reunited and married on 15 February 1946. Their lives were full of love and joy and they were determined to overcome all difficulties.

Preble worked as a lobbyist and banker after the war, and he moved around the US a lot, including into Virginia, Florida and South Carolina. In 1975, her son Peter died at his high school’s last football game. According to one of her five children, the 63-year-old Laurie Staver Clinton Preble, her husband was a tall, outgoing man with a strong, bigger-than-life personality who described Isabell as the heart that taught her to be a kind and compassionate person.

That tore the couple apart, but we made a pact to overcome it. Parents are not supposed to bury their children, and it has taken a toll on us, but it has brought us together. After that, we were a mutual support team. It was at this point that we began to see a softer side of my father.

Life was fraught with challenges in 2013 when Isabell began showing signs of dementia. When they succeeded, the couple moved into a foster home in Norfolk, Virginia. It was a difficult time for Preble and his wife as he watched his wife develop dementia. They stayed in the same facility but slept in separate rooms.

But they found a way to express their love. Dad, when he stopped walking and was in a wheelchair, took his bike to his memory center to visit Mum. When they were reunited, Preble and Isabell did what they always did: First they put their hands together, held each other’s hands and told each other that they loved each other.

Preble had one last wish for his 96th birthday: a nap with his wife. His wish was fulfilled with the help of the facility staff, and the couple had three hours of nap to enjoy true love for each other and for each other.

The two held hands and fell asleep together. Not a single word was said between the two, but they were together forever.

On October 25, 2017, Isabell died without her husband. Preble died just 14 hours later. This was the end of their amazing life, which lasted 71 years. Their love left unforgettable traces in the lives of all people who had the chance to meet them.

Laurie put it in a nutshell:

“Mom and dad really lived out that, if you make a commitment, and even though life gets rough or life gets in the way, you work through life. And you live your life together.”