Dora May and Leon Pearce recently celebrated their 70th anniversary with a dinner and party at Cedarhurst of Arnold, an assisted living facility, where they both live.
Dora May grew up on the South Shore in Long Island, N.Y. On a whim one night she agreed to go to a local pub for a blind date with an Army man from Garden City, Long Island, that her friend had set up. That man was Leon Pearce.
“I was only 19 and he was 23. We spent the evening dancing to the jukebox and getting to know each other. He was a wonderful dancer,” Dora May said.
Dora May, now 90, and Leon, 94, have been inseparable ever since.
It took only two short months for Leon to decide Dora May was the one and propose to her.
He joked that if he could have, he would have proposed a couple of hours after meeting her.
During their courtship, the two spent their time together roller skating and dancing the nights away.
“He took me home one night after a date and asked me to marry him. It wasn’t anything ‘super-duper.’ We just wanted to get married.”
Leon gave her an engagement ring in February 1954, and later that year, on Oct. 3, they married. The couple said it was a quick but beautiful and traditional ceremony.
“We got married in Long Island at an Episcopal Church that I grew up attending. About 125 people were there,” Dora May said.
The two were known for making lifelong friends wherever they went, and their honeymoon was no exception.
“We honeymooned in Pennsylvania. We met the nicest couples there. I just spoke with them last week. We like to visit with them back and forth. We’ve stayed friends with them over the years.”
The Pearces settled back in Long Island after returning from their honeymoon and faced their first hardship together: trying for a baby.
“We had challenges getting pregnant, but we were eventually blessed with two children. Our first was born after being married for six years and our second being born after 10 years. We were very lucky.”
Their son, Lee Pearce, lives in San Francisco, Calif., and their daughter, Diana Streicher, lives in Arnold. The Pearces also have six grandchildren and a great-grandson.
The two moved to Cedarhurst five months ago to be closer to some of their family.
On Oct. 4, the day after the couple’s 70th anniversary, the assisted living facility held a dinner for Dora May and Leon, congratulating them on their platinum anniversary.
Residents took part in the celebration, which included an elaborate cake decorated in raspberry and green shades – the couple’s wedding colors.
“I thought it was marvelous,” Dora May said. “It was all amazing; the people here are so kind. It was very touching.”
Christy Anderson, assistant executive director at Cedarhurst of Arnold, said Dora May and Leon have adapted well to their new home, forming friendships and becoming part of the extended Cedarhurst family.
“They are just such a lovely, friendly couple, and you can see how much they truly love each other. Seventy years together is quite a milestone. Only 0.1 percent of couples see this anniversary. We just wanted to make this a special day for them,” Anderson said.
Beyond the dinner, champagne and cake, the dining room at the Cedarhurst of Arnold had a poster decorated with photos of the couple.
In their younger days, the Pearces did a lot of traveling.
“We would camp and ski. China and Japan were the furthest we went,” Dora May said. “We’ve also been to Thailand and Europe, extensively.”
Some may say moving to Arnold was a big step for the couple after living most of their lives in Long Island, but the Pearces said they rarely turn down an opportunity for an adventure together.
The couple has been reflecting on how good their marriage has been over the years, even during its early stages.
“Everything seemed great for us. It doesn’t always click for newlyweds. It just did for us,” Leon said. “We are very lucky.”
Dora May and Leon said they have some advice for couples.
“It is a two-way thing. You both have to support each other in whatever you do as a couple. That’s the main thing,” Leon said.
“Don’t ever go to bed mad. Make sure you say ‘goodnight’ and ‘I love you,’ and give them a kiss,” Dora May added.