After 67 Years of Marriage, Couple Dies Within 32 Hours of Each Other

Woodbridge, NJ - They first met as children, growing up just down the block from each other in the Port Reading section of Woodbridge.

Michael and Olympia DeNittis married shortly after World War II and were married for 67 years, raising two children together. They lived in Port Reading their entire lives.

And in 2014, Michael and Olympia died within 32 hours of each other.

Olympia went first, dying at 95 of pneumonia on Feb. 2. Family members did not tell Michael, who was in the final stages of colon cancer at the time. But just over a day later, Michael died as well, at 94.

"We were afraid it would kill his will to live, so we decided not to tell him ... But he knew," their granddaughter, AnneMarie McDonald, 29, told Patch. After Olympia died, "he immediately wanted to know what medicine Grandma had gotten. He also said he dreamt he died the night before."

"They'd literally known each other their entire lives and I think a sixth sense developed," she said. "I honestly think my grandmother wanted to pass first to welcome him to heaven."

And now their grandchild has created a scholarship in Michael and Olympia's honor, to give money to students who choose to attend trade and vocational schools.

"They were childhood sweethearts who earned their living as a seamstress and cabinet maker," McDonald wrote on a website for the scholarship, called The 67 Foundation.org. "My goal is to support students who embody my grandparents' spirit and work ethic."

"There are so few scholarship opportunities for students who pursue trade and vocational school — our next generations of plumbers, electricians, etc. — that I thought this would be a great way to honor their memory," McDonald said. "We're really looking forward to giving out the scholarship, hopefully to a Woodbridge kid!"

Any senior who attends a New Jersey high school is welcome to apply, and the application can be found here. Applications must be submitted by March 15, 2016!