An elderly couple who met in the 1950s dated for a year during their younger days but were separated due to their hectic schedules at work and pursued their careers. 60 years later, they reunited in an elderly home and finally married.
Ron Owen, 84, and Ruth Holt, 79, met in the office where they both worked and dated for a year. Ron was a cruise ship entertainer at 23, while Ruth was only 18. When Ron entered showbusiness, Ruth married another man and lived with him in Saudi Arabia. She did not want to get in the way of Ron’s career. Years passed and Ruth moved to India and then later returned to the UK. There, she was employed as a typist and telephone operator. Although they were thousands of miles away from each other, Ruth always kept Ron in her heart and said that he was ‘the one’.
As a singer and entertainer, Ron loves to sing hits from great celebrities like Matt Monroe and Frank Sinatra, performing in clubs and other gigs. He describes himself as an avid fan of football and worked for teams in Norwich City and Fulham as their scout. Due to his hectic schedule, Ron never married. Additionally, he was employed as a cruise ship director for 4 years.
In 1983, Ruth divorced and lived alone for 20 years. She has 2 sons and 4 grandchildren from her marriage. Fast forward to 2014, Ron and Ruth had a miraculous year and reunited after 60 years of being apart. Upon hearing the music she heard in a communal room where she lived, she immediately recognized Ron upon entering. 2 weeks before the chance meeting, Ron moved into a bungalow house across the street where Ruth lived. When Ruth learned that a man with the stage name ‘Ronnie Ray’ has moved in, she could not believe it at first.
Ruth said: “I was in my bungalow one day when my sister came to see me. She had been at a party in the communal hall and said there was a ‘great singer on’ and mentioned something about a man named Ronnie. I said, ‘Ronnie Ray?’ When she replied yes, I nearly fell through the floor. I rushed to see our warden Linda to check if it was who I thought it was and she said it was Ron Owen. I couldn’t believe it!”
The warden informed Ron that Ruth has been asking about him and told him where she lived. Ron came to see Ruth in her bungalow at St. Anne’s in Lancashire and reunited after more than 60 years.
“He got to the bottom of the stairs up to the front of my bungalow but said he was struggling to get up them, so I came down to see him,” Ruth said, beaming. “We started talking straight away, and it was like we had never been apart. We met up a few times for a chat and a drink, and it went from there. I couldn’t believe I had found him again. I thought the world of him when we were together. He was always the one for me. I had been on my own for more than 20 years, and it is so nice to have someone.”
The couple rekindled their love and moved in together. In July 2018, Ron proposed to Ruth while they were watching television.
Ron said: “When I was in my 20s and Ruth was 18, I used to chat her up and take her out on a Thursday night to Preston greyhounds. When we reunited, we started chatting, and within three months, we were great pals and in love. About six weeks ago, we were watching telly, and I just turned around to her and said, ‘do you want to get married?’ She nearly fell off the settee. I’m looking forward to it, but I must admit I’m a little bit nervous. I’ve been on stage in front of 1,000 people, and I haven’t been nervous, but I’m doing something that I’ve never done before.”
“We had been together for over a year, but Ron wanted to go off and do his singing, so we split,” Ruth said. “Over the years, I have always thought about him and where he was, what he was doing. Around six years ago, I saw his name appear in a local newspaper. I have never heard of someone marrying after so long apart. I never thought it would happen.”
Ron Owen and Ruth Holt will be married in September, and they will be witnessed by 50 guests consisting of family and friends. After 60 years, the couple will finally celebrate their reunion.
People destined to be with each other will reunite despite the years that may pass. Congratulations to the couple!
Sources: Daily Mail UK, Metro News UK, and Woman
Images credits: © Blackpool Gazette/SWNS.com
