Married 64 years ago on Halloween, couple wins costume contest
Maria and Norman Leo pose with the Halloween costume contest first-place prize they won — 64 years after they were married on Oct. 31, 1959.
Having fun on Halloween is timeless for Clinton Township couple Norman and Maria Leo, both 91 years young.
The Leos not only dressed up for the costume contest organized by their senior home — they won.
Best of all, their bride-and-groom costume idea wasn’t random. The couple were married on Oct. 31, 1959.
“The costume idea came from their youngest daughter, Lucia Genna,” said Amanda Klingbail, one of the Leos’ 16 grandchildren. “And everyone loved it.”
Enduring love
The Leos’ loving smiles are as bright as they were on their special day 64 years ago.
The love the couple share for one another is reflected in photos of the attractive husband and wife taken during the Halloween party and on their wedding day — the most recent pics snapped with an iPhone, which was still a few decades away from becoming an everyday accessory when they shared their vows.
Norman and Maria’s first meeting came straight from a romantic 1950s black-and-white movie.
“It was a Friday and my nonna was a waitress at a restaurant at the time,” Klingbail said. “As a Catholic, she doesn’t eat meat on Fridays — year-round, not just during Lent.
Memorable meeting
“She says papa didn’t know what to eat, so she asked if he was Catholic. He said he was, so she told him that he would have the mac & cheese then. And that’s what he ate.”
Norman’s marriage advice is pretty straight-forward: “Try to get along and do whatever the wife wants.”
The Leos, who will be 92 in December, have five children, 16 grandchildren, two great grandchildren — and one Halloween costume contest trophy they will forever cherish.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
