This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Holbrook Couple Talks Love After 60 Years of Marriage

Walter and Virginia Golanek are celebrating their 60th anniversary on Thursday.

“I’m gonna marry that girl,” was the first thing Walter Golanek said when he first laid eyes on Virginia Golanek (neé Pagano), in a Hearns department store over the summer of 1945.

She was an information girl and he was a stock boy. “I thought she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen,” Walter recalled.

Virginia’s first impression was quite the opposite.

Find out what's happening in Sachemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“When I first saw him I didn’t really like him because I was into the lively, bad boys,” she said. “He had dark, thick curly hair, like a pompadour and although I found him very handsome, I thought Walter was quiet and kind of boring,” she continued.

After that summer, Walter enrolled in the Air Force. Four years later, he got the shock of his life when he turned around and saw his dream girl standing in the unemployment line with him.

Find out what's happening in Sachemwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I went over to her and asked if she remembered me,” said Walter. “She didn’t recognize me at first but then remembered my hair and the summer we worked together in the department store,” he said.

Single at the time, Virginia gave Walter her telephone number. “A week after he had called, we went out,” said Virginia. “I guess it was fate,” she said that had brought them together for good this time.

Virginia’s family was very fond of Walter. “My mother always said that Walter was like a ‘piece of bread,’ which is an old Italian saying,” she said. “It’s a compliment which means that he was very simple and easy to get along with.”

Walter did everything for Virginia and her family. Even carrying her grandmother’s groceries up several flights of stairs when it was too much for her. An only child, Virginia’s parents divorced when she was just three years old and growing up, family was everything.

“Divorce was unheard of when I was a little girl at the time,” she said. “I didn’t understand what was going on but I knew that when I was grown up, I wasn’t going to fight with my husband like that.”

Fortunately, Virginia’s would be future husband was easy to get along with, kind, intelligent and respectable.

“He really was a good guy, a jack of all trades,” she said of Walter who has been a builder, painter, writer, bartender, co-pilot, bus driver, amateur boxer and even hand-sewed clothes for her.

“I held down three jobs at once just to save money because I knew how I wanted to spend my life,” said Walter who eventually settled into his career by refurbishing electronic components for airplanes, utilized from his military experience.

Established with a good job, Walter and Virginia got engaged after about three years of dating.

“It was perfect timing to get married,” said Virginia. Walter proposed to his bride in the hallway of her family’s apartment, fulfilling his promise to marry her five years ago.

The couple said “I do” on April 26, 1952 at St. Helen’s church in the Bronx. The bride wore a beautiful Chantilly lace gown and had three bridesmaids dressed in blue. The groom wore a handsome tuxedo and stood next to his brother Joseph, who served as best man.

“I’ll never forget that day for so many reasons,” said Virginia who walked down the aisle with her uncle. “It was pouring rain and there was a huge thunderstorm. My veil caught on fire from one of the candles at the reception while we were taking pictures,” she said of the drama of the day. “Overall I think everything went well,” she laughed.

Their wedding reception followed at a hotel. A catered, sit down wedding with about 100 guests, the Golaneks were very grateful to have the celebration that they did.

“It was a beautiful wedding and we were fortunate enough to have such a nice affair during that time of economic struggles,” said Virginia. “I was nervous the entire day, but not about marrying Walter, more so excited nerves of things to come,” she continued.

The special event was also captured in 3D, a very rare memoriam to have during that time. After returning from their honeymoon in Florida, the Golaneks moved in to an apartment in the Bronx.

“We had a beautifully furnished apartment and we bought a brand new car,” said Virginia who lived there for several years until the birth of her first two children led her and Walter to buy a house in Bethpage in 1959.

“My family didn’t want me to move to so far away from them,” she said. “It wasn’t as easy as it is today to get from the Bronx to Long Island.”

The Golaneks eventually moved to Farmingdale in 1969 after the birth of their third child. They moved a final time to Holbrook in 1997, where they currently reside in a beautiful gated community.

Walter and Virginia were avid travelers during their marriage.

“We loved to travel and have been to so many places,” said Virginia. The couple has been to Hawaii, Mexico, California (9 times), Spain, Puerto Rico, Bermuda and the Bahamas among other places.

“We continued to travel after our children were born. I just left the kids with my mother, she laughed, although they made frequent trips with the entire family as well.

For their golden anniversary, Walter and Virginia had a big celebration, which was meant to be a recreation of their wedding.

“I couldn’t wait to make it to 60 years with my diamond in the rough,” she said of her husband.

In 2006, Walter suffered a major stroke the day before his grandson’s high school graduation. None of his doctors could believe that Walter survived the stroke. Although he physically struggles, Walter’s memory is completely intact and he remembers every detail of his life with his loving wife.

“It’s been rough and I thank the lord everyday that I’m a very strong woman,” said Virginia. “I’m 82 years old and nobody believes it for what I’ve done and what I am doing. I take good care of him.”

The Golaneks believe the key to a long and happy marriage is respect and communication.

“Respect one another, love one another and trust one another,” said Walter.

“When you decide to share your life with someone, there’s not much else you can do to ensure their happiness,” continued his wife.

“We didn’t have a dull life then and we still don’t,” laughed Virginia who cherishes everyday with her husband and wonderful family.

The Golaneks have three dedicated children (Stephen, 57, Grace, 53 and Jeanine, 46) and four loving grandchildren (Bryan, 24, Jessica 22, Danielle, 20 and Janelle, 15).

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?