93-year-old Joe Potenzano is set to marry his long-lost love, 83-year-old Mary Elkind, this October after 64 years apart.
The couple first crossed paths in 1959 at a wedding where Potenzano served as the best man and Elkind was the maid of honor. Though they enjoyed a brief romance at the time, life took them in different directions—Potenzano into the army and Elkind into a career as a ballerina.
Last fall, Potenzano, a retired engineer, felt the loneliness that comes with advanced age and decided to reconnect with Elkind. He invited her for coffee, setting the stage for a whirlwind reunion.
“I was sitting in my house one day, and I noticed there was nobody else I could call,” Potenzano said, describing the solitude that led him to reach out to Elkind. “Everybody was gone. And I began to feel that loneliness that only comes at 90 years old.”
The couple rekindled their relationship and now, at 93, Potenzano is preparing to walk down the aisle for the first time, with Elkind by his side.
While some friends have expressed skepticism due to their age, Potenzano and Elkind remain undeterred. “I say this unashamedly. I fell in love with her, and she told me she fell in love with me,” said Potenzano. “What else do you want.”
Both families are eagerly preparing for the upcoming nuptials, proving that love indeed knows no time or age limits.
