For Oamaru couple Isabella and Lou Coffey, both qualities are clearly still true.
Holding hands tightly at their 70th wedding anniversary on Tuesday, surrounded by friends and family, they loved being together, it was plain to see.
Fr Wayne Healey, retired parish priest of St Patrick’s Basilica and a friend for many years, was present at their anniversary celebration and testified "they’re still in love".
Mrs Coffey (nee Ireland, 93) went to school in Palmerston, and Mr Coffey (95) went to school at St Joseph’s, in Oamaru.
They met by chance more than seven decades ago when Mrs Coffey came to work at the home where Mr Coffey was living as a farmhand.
Mr Coffey said he was attracted to Mrs Coffey "straight away".
It was as if "they were meant for each other", he said.
The couple were married by Fr Kevin Keen at St Patrick’s Basilica, Oamaru, in 1953.
They had four children; three daughters and a son- Mavis, Kathleen, Colleen and Graeme - all born in Oamaru.
Mr Coffey worked at Whitestone Quarry and Taylors Lime Quarry before becoming a market gardener in Thousand Acre Rd, where he enjoyed a good relationship with the Chinese growers.
When Mr Coffey left the market garden and settled in Oamaru, he worked for the railways, driving trucks until he retired.
Both Mr and Mrs Coffey enjoyed playing indoor bowls. Mr Coffey also had success in outdoor bowls tournaments.
He was a member of the Meadowbank Bowling Club, helping with its upkeep for 26 years.
He also enjoyed following horse racing.
Mrs Coffey enjoyed her crafts which included knitting, crotchet, sewing and fine cross-stitch, several of which were proudly framed in her lounge.
Mrs Coffey liked to play scrabble regularly with the family and loved working in her flower garden.
The couple have five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Their daughter, Mavis Abercrombie, attributed their long marriage to "doing everything together", including market gardening, regular family picnics and travelling overseas to the British Isles, Europe, Canada, the United States and Australia.
"As a family we would always go on day picnics. There was lots of togetherness as a family," she said.
Mrs Abercrombie could not recall her parents ever having an argument.
It was a happy home, filled with love, she said.
Mrs Coffey lives at Iona Home and Mr Coffey lives in Oamaru, where he celebrated his 95th birthday yesterday.
- By Jules Chin
