Archdiocese of Baltimore couples share stories of love that lasts a lifetime 

St. Valentine’s Day may be known for flowers, cards and chocolates, but for some couples, it is also a moment to reflect on decades of shared love and commitment. In the Archdiocese of Baltimore, several couples who have been married 60 years or more shared their stories of meeting, building families and nurturing faith together.  

From chance encounters at dances or workplaces to deep involvement in parish life, these couples show that enduring love is rooted in faith, partnership and the everyday choices that keep a marriage strong across a lifetime. 

Barbara & Dave Skalitzky 

Wedding date: Sept. 3, 1960 

Married 65 years 

Barbara and Dave Skalitzky met at a wedding in Minnesota in the summer of 1959. She was from Minnesota and he was from Wisconsin, but it wasn’t long before Barbara moved to Milwaukee. 

“She taught nursing,” Dave said. “I was a CPA and worked for a national accounting firm at that time.” 

The couple moved to Timonium in 1968 for a job for Dave and became members of Church of the Nativity, where they remained active members for many years. They expected to be here only five years but stayed to raise their four children. 

“It is definitely warmer,” Dave said. “I’ve had more than my share of cold weather. I know what it is to be snowbound.” 

They were later parishioners of Immaculate Conception in Towson and are now residents of Mercy Ridge Retirement Community in Timonium, where they attend daily Mass. 

“The Church has always been important to our marriage,” Barbara said.   

Lucille & Mike Helpa 

Wedding date: June 8, 1963 

Married 63 years 

Lucille and Mike Helpa were coworkers in Philadelphia when they first met. As Mike was a member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the couple moved with his military career before settling in Crofton in 1970. 

“We were totally committed to our marriage vows,” Lucille said. “We had both come from strong Catholic families.” 

The two are longtime parishioners of Our Lady of the Fields in Millersville, and have also worshiped at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Crofton. They have two daughters and lost a son a few years ago. 

“That was one of the times where faith was very important,” Lucille said. 

“I can’t stress enough how much faith has played a role,” Lucille said. “It has kept us together.” 

James & Agnes Redifer 

Wedding date: Aug. 24, 1957 

Married 68 years 

James and Agnes Redifer met at a Friday night record hop in Baltimore. 

“We were both 18 at the time,” Agnes recalled. “It was after high school.” 

The Baltimore natives bought their first house in Timonium.  

“I had never lived where we didn’t have a streetcar,” Agnes said, who didn’t know how to drive at that time. 

“I was her driving instructor,” James said. “I survived.” 

Their lives, James said, have been based on faith. The two are long-time parishioners of St. Joseph in Cockeysville, starting with their involvement in Christian Family Movement, a national movement of small parish groups embracing Christian values, when they first moved to Timonium. 

“There was a couple who used to come to visit new people and they welcomed us,” Agnes said. “We were all within walking distance of our homes, so four or five couples would meet. It was a nice feeling of togetherness.” 

The couple raised four children and were the godparents for many of their friends’ children at St. Joseph. 

“All our children are happily married. It is a real blessing in this day and age,” James said. 

While the Redifers live at Mercy Ridge in Timonium and attend daily Mass there, they try to visit St. Joseph as much as possible. They especially enjoy attending the church’s tradition of offering an anniversary Mass each month. 

“We still like each other, that’s important,” James said with a laugh, adding that the two do things together, “through tough times and through good times.”  

Mary & Paul Plevyak 

Wedding date: Aug. 22, 1953 

Married 72 years 

According to Mary Plevyak, it doesn’t seem like 72 years have passed since she and her husband Paul married. The two were neighbors in Pennsylvania and grew up together, she said. 

“His sister was my age and in the same class. I was always at their house,” Mary said. When she couldn’t find a date for a formal dance at her school, her friend suggested she ask her brother, who was dating someone else at the time. She did, and the two have been together ever since. 

The couple moved to Baltimore at the suggestion of Paul’s brother, who was a teacher at Mount St. Joseph High School in Irvington, and Paul became a business teacher at Bel Air High School. They were active parishioners of Immaculate Conception in Towson, where she taught religious education and Paul was an extraordinary minister of holy Communion. 

“Faith was a big factor,” Mary said. “We went to the same church. Our beliefs are the same. I don’t know what I would have done without Immaculate Conception. I just love that church.” 

The Plevaks have three daughters and one son. 

“I don’t know how we could have managed in life without our Savior by our side,” Mary said. “I feel him walking with us. It is why we lasted 72 years. We didn’t do it ourselves.” 

Kenneth & Charlotte Hennigan 

Wedding date: June 7, 1958 

Married 67 years 

Kenneth Hennigan was in the U.S. Air Force in Colorado and working a part-time job pumping gas at a service station when he first met his future wife, Charlotte. 

“That’s where she came to get gas. She had a 1950 Cadillac,” Hennigan said. “We dated almost a year.” 

Born in Texas and raised in Oklahoma, Kenneth left the service to attend college in Tulsa, Okla., with Charlotte in tow. The two moved to Maryland when he accepted a job with Westinghouse after graduation. 

“We had never been east of the Mississippi before,” Kenneth said, and they didn’t expect to stay long. “I wanted to get a master’s degree and that took five years. By then, we had roots down.” 

The couple raised two daughters and have been parishioners of Our Lady of the Fields in Millersville since 1989. Charlotte is a convert, Kenneth said. 

The secret to a happy marriage? 

“Just go day-by-day and enjoy it. Try to get along,” Kenneth said. “We’ve had a lot of good times together. It’s been easy.” 

Email Katie V. Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org

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