Neighbor News
At Ocean County Retirement Community, A Love Story Unlike Many Others
Both Widowed Earlier in Life, Lovebirds Joe and Pat Get Married in Senior Living Style at Harrogate
Even the most cynical among us have a place in their hearts for a story of unexpected true love. Joe Specht and Pat O’Brien, residents of Harrogate, an Ocean County retirement community, have such a story.
Joe and Pat lived with their spouses in the same neighborhood for many years. Their children went to school together and in the 1980s, Joe’s daughter married Pat’s son. Pat had lost her spouse to cancer in the years leading up to the wedding, and several years later, Joe lost his wife. As time passed, the two began dating, but were hesitant to ever tie the knot.
It wasn’t until they moved to Harrogate that their respective children convinced them to join in holy matrimony. They could have had the ceremony at a church or at one of the many beautiful outdoor locations around the area, but instead they chose to be married at the place they call home. Pat says Harrogate was decorated like never before, and she and Joe brought in a priest to conduct the service.
