How to Maintain Lifelong Love: Advice from Couples in Their 90s

By Keith A. Myers—

Whether they’ve been together for most of their lives or had a second chance at love in their later years, senior couples have a wealth of insight from their personal experience. 

Couples in residence at MorseLife Health System – a nonprofit healthcare and residential services provider for seniors in South Florida – have volunteered their wisdom in the hopes of providing a guiding light to other relationships.  

Tips for Lifelong Love:

• Pick Your Battles: Nobody’s perfect, and partners can often take the brunt of our day-to-day frustrations. If you find that your partner’s annoying you, take a step back to think about whether it’s truly important to address and, if it is, be kind and direct rather than snapping or resorting to passive-aggressive behavior.

• Money isn’t everything – but it can be important: While it’s true that a relationship shouldn’t be driven by finances, money is often one of the biggest points of conflict in marriage or committed relationship. Be transparent with your partner and collaborate on financial goals, if you do share finances. 

• Approach relationships as a partner: While relationships ebb and flow and partners may take turns supporting one another through major life events, no one partner should consistently dominate a relationship. Partners should treat each other with respect and approach decisions together.

• Trust triumphs all: Ultimately, few things are more important than trust in and honesty with your partner, who you should be able to turn to in life’s most challenging moments. While complete honesty can be daunting, it will feel freeing to have no secrets with your partner in the end.
• Have Fun: Above all, this tip reigned true amongst senior lovebirds. Whether it’s engaging in a celebration, watching a performance, attending a social gathering, indulging in a great meal, or spending time doing a fun activity, couples who prioritize spending time together and making memories stand the best chance of surviving the years together.

About the Participating Couples:

Step onto the MorseLife campus on any given day and you’ll find a multitude of love stories, some who’ve shared more than six decades together, and others with colorful stories of finding true love while attending a social mixer. Regardless of when and how each couple met, the residents of MorseLife have valuable wisdom to share when it comes to making love last. Get to know the couples who shared their tips with us for building lifelong love. 

• Howard Woocher and Eleanor Skolnick: After losing their spouses at the same time 10 years ago, the couple met at a MorseLife barbeque. While at the event, Eleanor asked Howard to dance, but Howard told her it was too soon after the loss of his spouse and asked her to ask again on the Fourth of July. Eleanor obliged and asked again in July, and the couple has been dancing and enjoying their lives together ever since. Howard will be 102 in April, and Eleanor is 95.

• Marilyn & Irwin Rockoff: The Rockoff’s have been married for 68 years, and have known each other since they were 13. But their union came after Irwin dated Marilyn’s cousin when he was 16. Irwin realized Marilyn was his true love while both were studying at Utica College, where they first fell in love. The couple are both 90 years old and have four children, eight grandchildren and a great grandchild. 

• Earl and Reva Quint: The couple, both widowed, were set up by Reva’s mother who went to the same synagogue as Earl and suggested he call her daughter. Earl called Reva on a Sunday and – feeling adventurous – she agreed to meet him for a date later that night. Feeling an immediate connection, the pair was married 11 months after their first date, bringing together a blended family with six children. They’ve now been together for 37 years; Earl is 89 and Reva is 80.

If you’re interested in finding a community to foster your own lifelong love or find the best fit for a loved one, call (561) 701-8367 to schedule a tour of The Tradition at MorseLife today.

Keith A. Myers, President/CEO, has served at the helm of MorseLife Health System since 2007, and he brings with him an impressive history of accomplishment and extensive background in health care. He came to MorseLife after holding a position for more than seven years at Montefiore in Beachwood, Ohio.