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.