Isabell and Preble Staver first met on a blind date in Philadelphia, back when they were just two young people beginning to imagine what their futures might look like.
But their lives soon took an unexpected turn when World War II began. The war separated them, sending Isabell overseas as a Navy nurse while Preble served with the United States Marine Corps. During his service, he earned the Bronze Star for his bravery.
When the war finally ended, the two found their way back to each other. They reunited, married, and eventually built a family of their own, raising five children together.
Their daughter Laurie later described her parents as the foundation of their family. Preble was a big, outgoing man with a warm personality, while Isabell was the person who helped bring out his gentler side and taught him the importance of kindness.
More than seven decades after that first blind date, their remarkable journey came to an end in a way that touched everyone who knew them.
On October 25, 2017, after 71 years together, Isabell and Preble both passed away in Norfolk, Virginia, on the very same day.
They were laid to rest together in Virginia Beach during Veterans Day weekend.
After spending more than seven decades side by side, even death seemed unable to keep them apart.
