30 | FEBRUARY 10 • 2022 

W

hether you’re single, married 
or anything in-between, 
Valentine’s Day is a celebra-
tion of love. Sometimes, people fall in 
love at a young age, while others fall in 
love later in life. In Jewish Metro Detroit, 
there are thousands of love stories each 
unique in their own way. Here are two 
examples of how love can take form, 
grow and evolve with time, sometimes 
surprising us all.

BEN AND SHELLEY SKELTON
When Philadelphia-born artist Shelley 
Skelton, now 80, moved to Metro Detroit 
in her younger years and married, 
she thought her life was set. But plans 
changed, and Shelley and her husband, a 
practicing dermatologist, divorced. Now 
embarking on a new path in life, Shelley 
Skelton discovered love accidentally 
without really looking for it.
In the late 1970s, while taking on a 
new job as a secretary to a sales man-
ager of a real estate firm, Shelley met 
Ben Skelton, now 78, who was the office 
manager at the time. At a sales meeting, 
Ben took one look at her and deter-
mined that Shelley was both beautiful 
and smart. From there, they began to 
privately date — and eventually got mar-
ried in 1980, with a truly unforgettable 
ceremony.
Set to be married by a friend of Ben’s 

who worked as a judge, Ben and Shelley 
prepared for the big day, only to learn 
that the judge had to sit for a murder 
trial at the very last minute. Determined 
to get married regardless, they moved 
their wedding to the courthouse with the 
murder trial, families and 
witnesses in town. They 
joined their two families 
together, with Ben having 
one child from a previous 
marriage and Shelley hav-
ing two children from her 
previous marriage.
“He was very good to 
my children,” Shelley says. 
“They really loved him.”
When their children 
were grown, Ben and 
Shelley moved to Bonita 
Springs, Florida, in 2005, where they 
lived for 15 years, and both worked in 
real estate. Shelley was highly involved 
in Jewish life. “I was very active in 
Hadassah Florida,” she says. “I was actu-
ally president of the chapter down there, 
and I was editor of their news magazine.”
Yet, as the couple grew into their older 
years, their children encouraged them to 
move back home so they could be closer 
to one another. They relocated to West 
Bloomfield in 2020, right at the begin-
ning of COVID-19, and found a beauti-
ful home in the Hechtman Apartments 

on the campus of Jewish Senior Life, 
where Ben and Shelley have a cozy 
apartment filled with Shelley’s artwork.
When they’re not spending time 
with children and grandchildren, Ben 
and Shelley enjoy playing mahjong and 
Rummikub. With Ben 
prone to helping Shelley 
make the right moves in 
the games, she refers to 
him as “the muscles” in 
the relationship. Ben also 
enjoys walking the campus, 
which has plenty of green 
space. Shelley says he chats 
with everyone he meets 
along the way, always 
friendly and eager to learn 
about others.
“We are not so much 
alike, and we don’t always agree, but we 
can agree to disagree on things,” Shelley 
says of what holds their marriage togeth-
er. “We just love being with family. The 
biggest asset we have together is that 
we’re both very family-oriented.”

MARK AND ELAINE SEGAL
Mark and Elaine Segal, now 69 and 73, 
met as young adults after going through 
challenging times. When Elaine was 
introduced to Mark through Jewish 
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, she 
was reluctant to go on a date with him. 

OUR COMMUNITY

Two long-married couples share 
their advice for a happy marriage.

Lasting
 Love

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ben and 
Shelley Skelton

