The Oamaru couple, who celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary today, did not intentionally get married on St Patrick’s Day in 1962 — they wanted to get married in March and it was just the way it worked out.
The pair met at Camp Iona in Herbert, where Mrs Ford (nee McNeilly) was having a picnic for her 16th birthday, and Mr Ford went along with some of his friends.
"We just all got round together in those days," Mrs Ford said.
Once they "clicked", that was it.
Mr and Mrs Ford (both 81) were born five days apart, and shortly after their 21st birthdays in March, they were married at St Paul’s Presbyterian Church, by the Rev Neil Campbell.
Everything went to plan, and they were the last couple to have the pipe organ played at their wedding before the organ was removed from the church.
They both worked various jobs throughout the years, including working at AMI and the Waitaki Electric Power Board.
Family had always been their No1 priority.
"We didn’t have big careers in those days. We worked hard but we did lots of things together," Mrs Ford said.
They both came from large families and together had four daughters — Debbie Weir, Nicola Ford, Tania Sandri and Lisa Bleach. They have 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
"We’ve always had family, friends and children around," Mrs Ford said.
They enjoyed going on classic car rallies, jet-boating, and camping at Otematata’s Loch Laird, where Mr Ford became affectionately known as "Poppa Les" to many campers.
Mr Ford spent years dressing up as Santa Claus for local schools, clubs, police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand functions — until his grandchildren began to recognise Santa.
The couple said they had lived a "normal" life, and counted themselves fortunate to have each other through the good and the bad times.
"We’ve been lucky in life. We’ve got through pretty right and it’s because ... you talk about it and get it off your chest," Mrs Ford said.
"We get on all right together and we’ve had lots of fun throughout the years and times.
"I think if you can joke about things, it’s pretty good."
Today, Mr and Mrs Ford planned to have a small get-together with family, but were holding off on a big celebration until their daughter Nicola could return from Australia.
