August 8 • 2019 19
jn
Love at Last
At 70, high school friends tie the knot.
W
hen Stuart Lester and
Marilyn Siskind-Meyer
double dated at Mumford
High School’
s senior prom in 1965,
they never expected they would be
married to each other more than 50
years later.
Stuart and Marilyn were
good friends in high school,
but parted ways after grad-
uation. She attended the
University of Michigan
and eventually relocated to
Seattle, while he attended
Wayne State Law School
before moving to San Diego.
For 50 years, they led separate lives,
each with their own marriage and, sub-
sequently, divorce. In 2014, a Facebook
group was created in advance of their
50th class reunion with all the mem-
bers of the 1965 graduating class, so
Marilyn and Stuart were able to recon-
nect.
“I noticed that Stuart’
s pictures on
Facebook always included his son, but
never had a woman in them,
” Marilyn
said with a laugh.
While neither of them attended
the 50th reunion in 2015, the pair
continued to communicate over
Facebook and text message until that
Thanksgiving when they were both
headed to Los Angeles to see family.
“We met up in LA,
” Stuart said. “
At
first, she really had no interest, but I
kept visiting.
”
Stuart made four trips to Seattle
before Marilyn realized there was
something special between them.
“I realized that at age 68, here was a
potential life partner who met all of my
criteria plus some,
” Marilyn wrote in
a short memoir detailing the couple’
s
story.
In October 2016, Marilyn and Stuart
began dating. Stuart, a retired lawyer,
dropped everything and immediately
moved his life to Seattle. To everyone
who has asked why he would leave
sunny San Diego for the gray, rainy
weather of Seattle, Stuart simply
replies, “To be with Marilyn.
”
Earlier this year, the couple received
an invitation to another high
school reunion and decided it
would be a great idea to official-
ly become married in front of
all their Mumford high school
friends. Rabbi Emeritus Daniel
Syme of Temple Beth El offici-
ated.
“Our friends thought it was
wonderful,
” Marilyn said. The
pair couldn’
t agree more.
“We have very different interests, but
that doesn’
t really matter because our
souls match,
” Marilyn said.
Despite their varied interests, or
perhaps because of them, Stuart and
Marilyn have been the perfect comple-
ment to each other’
s lives.
“Stuart says he thinks I’
m more mel-
low now. I think it’
s just knowing that
it’
s OK to be imperfect and that I will
always have his unconditional love,
”
Marilyn said.
Stuart has become Marilyn’
s chief
barbeque expert, handyman, gardener,
Sudoku coach, best friend and now
husband, she writes in her short mem-
oir. Between the two of them, they
have two sons and three daughters,
as well as one grandchild, whom they
both love and adore.
Not only does their story bring joy
to them and their families, but others
who hear it can’
t help but fall in love
with the couple as well. At Trader Joe’
s,
the only place in Seattle Marilyn has
found kosher meat, she told the story
to the cashier who excused himself and
brought her back a bouquet of flowers.
“People love to hear our story,
”
Marilyn said. “Even at 70 you can find
a very sweet romance.
” ■
JESSIE COHEN JN INTERN
COURTESY MARILYN MEYER
Marilyn Meyer and
Stuart Lester were
married by Rabbi
Daniel Syme at
a Mumford High
School reunion this
year, surrounded
by friends.