Married 70 years, Quincy couple settle disagreements with walks - alone or together

HINGHAM – When Arlene Jacobs and Arthur Constant were married in Boston on Nov. 7, 1951, they gave no thought to how many years together they might have. They had no images of a 50th wedding anniversary, let alone a 70th.

"We never thought about the future like that," both said.

And here they are in Hingham, seven decades later, having just celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary, still making decisions together and choosing new paths that help them thrive.

Asked how they handled disagreements or differences of opinion over so many years, they said by walking – together or alone. If a discussion became heated, if tempers rose, Arlene said, "Arthur took a walk. He would go out, the door would bang and he'd walk around for 10 or 15 minutes and come back. And we'd let it rest, things would simmer down and we would work it out later."

Walking together every day for exercise and companionship also has always been part of their bond.

When they wed, they had known each other for two years after meeting in 1949 by chance at a resort in Connecticut where young men and women gathered to socialize. That first evening, Arthur, 25, gave Arlene, 19, and her friend a ride back home to Boston.

"Definitely she was a very attractive young lady," Arthur said.

He persisted in calling her to go out. They often went on dates with his college friends at Regina Pizzeria in Boston's North End. They were married at the Aperion Plaza in Roxbury, now the Thelma Burns building, and flew to Bermuda for their honeymoon.

Before they met, Arthur had left college to serve in the Navy from 1942 to 1944 aboard the USS Ashland, a land docking ship that loaded amphibious craft in the South Pacific. After World War II ended, he returned to Northeastern University to finish his chemical engineering degree in 1949 and soon met Arlene.

They settled in Quincy, where Arthur grew up on Atlantic Street and graduated from North Quincy High School in 1941. Arlene graduated in 1946 at age 16 from Brighton High School in Boston.

After a few years, they bought a new house in the Beechwood Knoll neighborhood and raised two daughters and a son:Susan, a teacher; Amy, a nurse; and Stephen, a veterinarian. Arthur worked as a metallurgist for the Tin Plate Corp. in Somerville. Once he retired, they lived six months a year in Florida for 30 years.

In Quincy, Arlene developed a very active community life. She was president of Quincy Hadassah, on the board of Temple Beth El and president of the temple's women's league. She also volunteered for 14 years in the gift shop at Quincy Hospital and taught English as a second language through the Thomas Crane Public Library.

Arthur was president of Probus, a group of professional businessmen who provided housing, jobs and transportation for handicapped adults.

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The couple also have nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, who are central in their lives.

Their children describe them as health-conscious and dedicated to community.

"My parents have been studying and learning their entire lives," their daughter Susan Zax, of Falmouth, said. "Wherever they go, they make sure to take their daily walk. They are very interested in both healthy mind and body."

As they moved through their 80s, the couple began to feel that owning their house had become an obstacle. The laundry was in the basement; the stairs became tiresome and a hazard; longtime neighbors their age were no longer around.

It was time for a change and, in 2015, the Constants sold their home of 60 years and moved to the Linden Ponds retirement community in Hingham. As lifelong walkers, they looked for a place "with a country setting," where they would enjoy walking both outside and inside. They still walk together daily.

"Living here has made a difference," Arthur said.

"The sociability," Arlene said.

While she is the more outgoing of the two, he enjoys people, is easy-going and active in the Linden Ponds environmental/climate club and attends veterans events.

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Wayne Miller, 72, and his wife, Ellen, also live at Linden Ponds and have become good friends with the Constants, whom his late mother knew well in Quincy.

"They make friends very easily and, with all the different clubs here, they are so active," he said. "Arthur will be 99 in January."

Their neighbor, Bill Householder, in his mid-80s, surprised the Constants with a poem he copied in calligraphy and slipped under their door for their 70th anniversary: "Days filled with sharing, years filled with caring, there's just no comparing a life filled with love. Wishing you happiness as you celebrate your life together. Wishing you love as you begin another year."

The Constants often have dinner with other couples and are in demand. Walking through the corridors last week, Arlene was stopped by a neighbor who had been trying to make a date for some time.

Saturday evening however, it was supper at home. After she and Arthur had walked outdoors and enjoyed the 60-degree weather, sunshine and colorful autumn leaves, Arlene was busy boiling eggs to make salmon salad.

"It was gorgeous today," she said. "You have to grab every day now because you don't know how long it is going to last."

Reach Sue Scheible at sscheible@patriotledger.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Quincy couple celebrate 70th anniversary at Linden Ponds in Hingham