How They Met: Moe and Darlene Philippe

Moe and Darlene Philippe met on Augustine Street in Pleasanton some 28 years ago.

Moe was living in a house on one side, and Cathy Stahr, Darlene’s sister, lived in the apartment complex directly across the street.

So, on occasions when Darlene, living in Livermore at the time, would visit her sister in Pleasanton, she would frequently pass Moe in the new 1979, blue turquoise, T-Top Camero she purchased herself, giving him a wave and a smile.

Moe would smile and wave back, but that was the extent of their exchanges until Darlene made an extra effort to attract Moe’s attention by strategically revealing herself as a female mechanic.

With laughter, she retells how she wore a pair of white pants and parked her car within visual range of Moe. She then began changing her own oil, with the hidden agenda of winning his affections.

“I got the filter off, got the plug out,” she smiles, “that’s when Moe came over, and asked why I was changing oil in white pants and stepped in to finish the job. So it worked!” she said.

Not long after that, Darlene was delighted to find Moe already at her sister’s house when she came for a visit. Unfortunately, she was disappointed to learn he had a date that night with someone else.

“He was all cleaned up and looking good,” she said, “I thought he did that for me.”

She went on to explain how Moe offered to cancel his date and join them at Sunshine Saloon for a comedy show, but Darlene insisted he keep his date “because I wouldn’t want someone canceling last minute on me.”

Their official first date would be shortly after. They went to Sunshine Saloon for Tuesday night comedy with her sister, Cathy, and Cathy’s boyfriend. They returned on Friday night for dancing.

“We talked very easily,” she says, “and those dance moves! This was when Saturday Night Fever was popular and Moe had all these John Travolta moves. I had to have a couple extra drinks to keep up,” she laughs.

Darlene also remembers, with candor and affection, how she watched Moe and his friend, Stanley, moving furniture from their first bachelor pad on Augustine to “the ugliest house ever" at the corner of Augustine and Angela. “A real fixer-upper,” she cringes. But it would get quite a fix over time.

After 6 months of dating, Moe and Darlene were engaged and 6 months after their engagement they were married.

“As long as you know I have two loves,” Moe told Darlene, “softball is number one, and you are number two.”

“I’ve never interfered with his softball,” Darlene says, “He’s played on at least three teams the entire time we’ve been married.”

Darlene’s marriage criteria was that she wanted to have three children by the age 30 and Moe shared this desire.

Over time they converted that former, ugly bachelor pad fixer-upper into a beautiful remodeled family home, where they have raised three wonderful children: Lacy, their youngest, who will graduate from Cal State East Bay this June with a degree in Recreation Hospitality; Jimmy, their middle child, who is currently enrolled at Los Positas Community College, in pursuit of a radiology career; and, David, their oldest, who together with Arlette, recently blessed Moe and Darlene with their first grandchild, Nicholas, born January 1, 2010.

They are enjoying the fruits of their family and career lives these days. Moe retired in July 2009, after a 37-year career as a mail carrier in San Ramon. He continues to play on adult softball teams for the city of Pleasanton and is one of the most sought after subs, too.

Darlene continues to work at Physical Therapy Specialities in Pleasanton, where she has been in marketing for 16 years. She also continues to teach her popular water exercise classes at Club Sport in Pleasanton, where she has taught for 20 years. And they are both thoroughly enjoying their new grandson.

On June 30, this year, they will celebrate their 27th wedding anniversary. When asked about any secrets to their success, Darlene credits communication. “We talk at the table together at the end of every day,” she said.

Moe sums it up this way: “If you each do 75 percent, the other 25 percent will work itself out.”