Fifty years against the odds

Huntley — Don’t tell Del Webb residents Bob and Diane Farina that it can’t be done; they’ve spent 50 years together beating the odds.

The couple, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 17, has faced obstacles in their lives since the beginning, when their decision to wed was not fully embraced.

Bob and Diane Farina met as teens and after a brief courtship were married at 16 and 17 years old. It was said it wouldn’t last. On July 17, the Farinas celebrated their 50th anniversary. (Photo provided)

“We got married when I was 16 and Bob was 17, and everybody kind of said it wouldn’t last,” Diane said.

The two teenagers had only begun dating ten months prior, when they met at Steinmetz High School in Chicago.

“We were in a shopping center and happened to see one another. I had to bribe my buddy to go out with Diane’s girl friend. That way, Diane would go on a double date with me because she wouldn’t go out alone,” Bob said. “After that, it was love at first sight.”

While the romance was clear to the Farinas, even their relatives remained wary of the wedding. Fortunately, all doubts were cast away when, in 1987, the couple celebrated their 25th anniversary.

“We made sure to invite everyone who said it wouldn’t last,” Bob said.

But it was not only naysayers that threatened the longevity of the couple’s union. When Diane was only 25 years old, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

“The chemo was either going to help, or it wasn’t going to work at all,” said Diane. “I was just lucky to beat it. Because of this, Bob and I realized that we don’t want to be without each other. It sealed the deal.”

Fortunately, the next stage of their lives proved to be a reprieve. The couple moved to Wheeling, Ill. and raised three sons. In a familiar twist of fate, all three of their sons also married high school sweethearts.

“They said that the pattern of our lives kind of dictated their lives,” said Bob. “It just runs in the family, I guess.”

After raising their family, Diane and Bob moved to Sun City in 2007. However, this move occurred shortly after another series of hardships. That same year, Diane received bypass heart surgery, and Bob had a stroke, yet the couple recovered and persevered as they always have. Perhaps the secret to the Farinas’ endurance is the same as their personal marital philosophy.

“Bob always says we’re both too stubborn, and we’re not giving up,” Diane said. “It’s about communication, and if you get mad, you just have to get over it somewhere along the line.”

Bob agrees.

“Listen to each other, and don’t hold grudges. Those are two of the most important things for us,” he said.

Another important element of their lives has been spending time together, from overseas trips to simple pleasures at home. The couple not only experienced memorable vacations in Tahiti and Italy, but they also enjoyed low-key nights playing bocce ball in Sun City. Clearly, they are inseparable no matter the activity.

“The whole thing, in a nutshell, with us getting married at that age and people thinking we were not going to do anything with our lives, proves a point,” Bob said. “If you stick it out, it’s fun to grow old together.”

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