Even after 7 decades together, Carole Cohen can’t get enough of her husband Norman’s kisses.
The couple got married in 1951. They raised three sons together, have four grandchildren, and can’t wait for great-grandchildren. This year, they celebrated their 70th anniversary with a little help from the kind staff at their senior living center.
During the COVID pandemic, the couple moved into Atria 86 West, a senior living center on Manhattan’s Upper Westside in New York. Their story started 70 years ago when Norman saw a yearbook picture of Carole. He says it was “love at first sight.”
“I fell in love with her picture and then when I met her I fell in love with her and that’s it,”he said. “The rest is history.â€
After they got married in Florida, Carole and Norman headed to Havana, Cuba for their honeymoon. They had the time of their lives exploring the country.
“It was fantastic,” Carole recalled. “We had a driver that took us around for three days that cost next to nothing. We went all over. The Tropicana. The Highline. It was a wonderful honeymoon.”
Over the years they’ve had their fair share of good times and bad, but Carole says the secret to their successful relationship is simple: “Norman lets me do what I want, and we never have any problems.”
To honor their long-lasting union, staff members at Atria went all out. They threw Carole and Norman a Cuba-themed party, complete with Cuban music, food, cigars, and a custom-made whipped cream cake. The couple’s family attended via video conference, and all of their new friends from the building came to wish them well.
During the party, Carole and Norman exchanged wedding vows again. Holding hands, they sweetly told each other, “I still do!”
“Oh, the party was wonderful. The people. The food. The decorations. The music,”Carole remembers. “You couldn’t have asked for anything better. It was like a dream. Just like a dream.â€
When asked if they have any advice for other committed couples, they agreed that their success has always been due “to compromise.”
“Be considerate and always work things out together and always love each other,”Carole said. “Norman never ever stopped me from doing my interests and I supported him too with his interests. I did everything to make Norman happy and he did everything to make me happy.â€
“I love Carole very much. She is my wife. She is my world. We produced a very, very great family of three boys and the rest is history,” Norman said.
Carole concurred.
“We have gone through good times and bad times and our love and our family has gotten us through it,” she said. “Norman our ride together through these 70 years have been great and I look forward to many more wonderful ones to come.”
These two are such an inspiration! Seeing how much their love has matured and grown over the decades gives us hope for the future. Congratulations, Carole and Norman!
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