Park Springs Couple Celebrates 70th Wedding Anniversary

Today, August 10, 2015, Lou and Louise Howard celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary at Park Springs, surrounded by their family and friends. Park Springs, the luxury retirement community in Stone Mountain, has been their home since December 2004. The well-traveled and energetic couple signed up as Park Springs Members before the first dirt was even turned, and still enjoy life to the fullest in their spacious 1,700 sq. ft. home in the 3000 Building on Park Springs’ beautiful 54-acre campus.

Love at First Sight

“When we met, I was a cadet in the Air Force, and she was the most beautiful girl I ever saw,” remembers Mr. Howard. “We knew right away that we were going to get married.” While completing their studies, the couple dated for two years – mainly by corresponding.

The wedding ceremony took place on the Air Force Base in Columbus, MS, and in October 1945, the young couple moved to New Jersey, a big change for Mrs. Howard, who had just been crowned “May Queen” at Middle Georgia College and who left behind four ‘very protective’ brothers.

Ever since then, the couple notes, “We’ve done everything together.”

Taking flight

Mr. Howard served as a pilot with Eastern Airlines and also served for 22 years with the Commemorative Air Force. He was the first Eastern Airlines’ pilot from Atlanta to fly the Airbus A300 aircraft, and was one of a select group of U.S. pilots chosen by Airbus to train other pilots in Toulouse, France.

“During the two years that Lou was based on and off in Toulouse, I was able to visit him five times, and we fondly remember the splendid VIP parties we were invited to in the castle overlooking this lovely city – which happens to also be a sister city of Atlanta,” says Mrs. Howard. “Just imagine – champagne and polyester pants; after all, it was the 70s!”

Dream home

Another highlight of their fabulous life together was designing and building their dream home from the ground up in the Smokerise subdivision in Stone Mountain. “It was more than 5,000 sq. ft., with a sunken living room, skylights and an indoor waterfall. It took us more than one year to design. We loved this beautiful home,” according to the couple.

“Then, in order to live our later years to the fullest, we decided to move to Park Springs while we were still able to enjoy the activities and social life here. Moving here, not far from our original neighborhood, allowed us to keep our old friends, and we did not have to change our church, our bank or our favorite shops.

”I think that sometimes people regret that they did not move sooner and waited too long before they sold their large homes,” says Mrs. Howard.

“We share so much joy as a couple, and celebrate every day with our friends and neighbors at Park Springs. We give thanks for our love that has lasted more than seven decades.”

Congratulations with this magnificent anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Howard!

To learn more about living at Park Springs by Isakson Living, or to schedule a personal tour of Park Springs, please contact one of Park Springs’ Residency Counselors at 678-684-3300 or visit www.parksprings.com.