‘Say, I love you, every night’: Florida couple who just celebrated their 73RD wedding anniversary reveal their secrets to a happy marriage amid the coronavirus pandemic
- Joe and Yolanda Tenaglio from Naples, Florida, were honored by their family and friends with a drive-by procession of nearly two dozen cars on May 3
- The Tenaglios met at a dance on May 3, 1946, and they wed exactly a year later on May 3, 1947, at a Catholic church in their home state of Pennsylvania
- Joe, 98, credits their successful marriage to ‘the two famous words’: Yes, dear
- Yolanda, 96, believes their constant communication has been what has helped them weather the occasional storms in their relationship over the years
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
A couple has shared their secrets to a happy marriage after celebrating their 73rd wedding anniversary with a surprise car parade while quarantined in their retirement community.
Joe and Yolanda Tenaglio from Naples, Florida, were honored by their family and friends with a drive-by procession of nearly two dozen cars on May 3 — the day of their milestone anniversary.
‘Never in a million years did we think 73 years later we would be celebrating our anniversary with a parade in Naples, Florida,’ Yolanda, 96, told Good Morning America.
Look of love: Joe and Yolanda Tenaglio from Naples, Florida, celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary on May 3
Special: They were honored by their family and friends with a drive-by procession of nearly two dozen cars
The Tenaglios met at a dance on May 3, 1946, and they wed exactly a year later on May 3, 1947, at a Catholic church in their home state of Pennsylvania.
After more than seven decades together, Joe, 98, credits the success of their marriage to ‘the two famous words’: Yes, dear.
His wife, however, believes their constant communication has been what has helped them weather the occasional storms in their relationship over the years.
‘Along the way you have a few scraps but you get over it,’ she said. ‘You have to communicate and if you don’t, it’s sad.’
Seven decades: The Tenaglios met at a dance on May 3, 1946, and they wed exactly a year later on May 3, 1947, at a Catholic church in their home state of Pennsylvania
Paying tribute: The Tenaglios’ nieces organized the surprise parade with the help of the couple’s former neighbors who have stayed in touch with them
‘And say, I love you, every night. That’s it,’ she added.
The couple never had children of their own, but they are part of a large family and have nearly a dozen nieces and nephews as well as grand and great nieces and nephews.
The Tenaglios’ nieces organized the surprise parade with the help of the couple’s former neighbors who have stayed in touch with them after they moved to the retirement home.
‘The line of cars blowing their horns and all the people there, wow, it was beautiful,’ Joe, a retired carpenter, told GMA of the special moment.
Secret: Joe, 98, credits their successful marriage to ‘the two famous words’: Yes, dear
Talk it out: Yolanda, 96, believes their constant communication has been what has helped them weather the occasional storms in their relationship over the years
Their neighbors have also been scheduling socially-distanced visits to chat with them while they are quarantined in their apartment amid the coronavirus pandemic.
They bring chairs and umbrellas and post up outside — making sure to sit more than six feet away from Joe and Yolanda while they catch up.
‘Thank God we have a lot of good friends because it does get lonely,’ Yolanda said, but the retired secretary noted that she and her husband are just grateful to be alive and together.
‘We have a lot to be thankful for,’ she said. ‘I’m sure there are a lot of people that have a lot more to worry about than us.’