There were few fireworks going off when Don and Jean Clark first met.
He was 18 years old and said he thought she didn’t have it all together.
Jean, six years younger, considered him an old man.
Time has changed their perception of one another. They’ve been married for nearly 70 years, proving that first impressions are not infallible and some fireworks are slow burning and take longer to light up the sky.
The Clarks, married since June 11, 1955, live in the Uplands Village Assisted Living facility in Pleasant Hill. New York natives who pursued careers in New Jersey, they’ve lived in Uplands Village since 1996.
Active during their early years in Tennessee, the Clarks face physical challenges, with Don wheelchair bound and having neuropathy, while Jean has battled COVID-19, cancer and congestive heart failure.
With declining health, they moved to assisted living two years ago.
Despite some initial reservations about one another, the couple epitomizes an enduring marriage and the vow to stay together in sickness and in health.
A visit to the drive-in was the first step toward a walk down the aisle.
Don and Jean grew up in Buffalo, NY, and met at church. With Don an adult and Jean not even a teenager, they had little in common and dated other people in the following years.
The age gap wasn’t as much of an issue after Don graduated from college and Jean from high school. Then came a night at the drive-in.
“It just clicked,” Jean said.
The Clarks married and eventually moved to New Jersey, where Don worked in community affairs and with nonprofits for Hoffman-LaRoche pharmaceutical company and Jean taught math and gifted and talented in fifth and eighth grades and all subjects in fifth and sixth grades during a 25-year career that started after her three children were older.
Jean cites financial security as a major factor in the stability of their marriage. She noted how her father was always looking for a job and trying to keep one during the Great Depression, leading to pressure to support his family.
“The fact Don had a profession appealed to me,” Jean said. “We were able to live on one salary.”
Don echoed his wife’s comments, noting they both had stable jobs. “Things are up in the air nowadays,” he said. “It’s hard for couples.”
According to Don, comprise is the key to a long and happy marriage. Jean cites patience. What they agree on is they’re a good match, one that took a while to light.
“She knows what she wants,” Don said. “She’s a wonderful woman. She has to be to live with me. I like everything about my wife. We’ve had a good life.”
Jean’s affection is a little more veiled. “It’s too hard to train someone new,” she said. “I remember the marriage vows of remaining together in sickness and in health.”
Cheryl Heckler, manager of Village Services at Uplands, has known the Clarks since 1996 and said they were very active in the community and volunteered with a number of projects when they first moved to Uplands Village.
Although their lives have changed, the commitment to one another remains constant and is inspiring to others.
“They’re always together and are a unit,” Heckler said. “They reaffirm my faith in marriage and the importance of sticking it out and working together.”