30-05-2025
NJ couple celebrate 70 years of marriage: 'We hit it off immediately'
The Brief
An Atlantic County couple are marking a milestone anniversary, celebrating 70 years of wedded bliss.
After seven decades of marriage, they say it seems like just yesterday they tied the knot.
BRIGANTINE, N.J. - An Atlantic County couple is marking a huge milestone as they celebrate 70 years of marriage. He's 96. She's 93. They look great, they feel great. They are mentally sharp and they say it seems like yesterday that they were married.
The backstory
Will and Jane Laverghetta, of Brigantine, walked down memory lane, recalling how they met in 1953 at Cooper Hospital where Jane was working as a nurse.
"We hit it off immediately," Jane said.
Will said, "My sister was a patient and I had just gotten out of the service and I needed a date and she told me there's a very cute nurse working along here."
Will says Jane was very attractive and nice, "I got her phone number and I called her. And, that was the beginning."
"Was it love at first sight?" asked FOX 29's Dawn Timmeney.
"I don't know about that," Will laughed.
Love story
It didn't take the two long to figure out they were made for each other. They married on a Sunday, on May 29th, 1955, at a small Catholic church in Tuckerton, New Jersey.
Jane said, "Normally, they didn't do weddings on a Sunday, but my father had a grocery store, and they couldn't close it on a Saturday. So, we did it on Sunday mass."
The couple went on to have three children – two daughters and a son. They have six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. The whole family gathered to celebrate their lifetime of love, the best gift they could ever receive.
"It's a great feeling to see that," Will commented. "Really feel like you accomplished something, all together like that."
Big picture view
So, what is their secret to a successful marriage? They say it's simple, as Jane jokes, "I'm easy to get along with."
Will said, "She always keeps an eye out on me. What I'm wearing. She sees a spot from a mile away. Just happened the other day. I'm 96 and she's telling me what to wear and how to wear it. 'You better change that shirt.'"
All kidding aside, Will and Jane say they truly enjoy each other's company and doing things together.
"We're still planting plants and everything else, working in the garden. Try to talk her out of that kind of stuff to no avail," Will joked.
They also say the key to being together so long is lots of give and take. Jane explained, "Compromising and just being friends. He's my best friend. Let me put it that way. You don't fight with your best friend."
Happy 70th anniversary to Will and Jane!
