Houston couple shares secrets to lasting love after 65 years of marriage

After 65 years together, they’re sharing what really matters in a relationship.

HOUSTON — Residents at an assisted living and memory care facility near the Texas Medical Center are preparing to celebrate Valentine’s Day, many of them without their longtime partners by their side.

But for Donna and Gary Downey, the holiday will mark a rare milestone.

The couple, who live at Belmont Village West University, will celebrate their first Valentine’s Day in Texas on Saturday — and their 65th as a married couple.

“Sixty five years don’t go by without bumps and grinds, that’s for sure,” Gary Downey said. “We try very hard to work together and listen to each other.”

Donna Downey agreed that communication has been central to their decadeslong marriage.

“Communication is still really important because you really don’t know what’s going on deep inside,” she said.

The Downeys met as high school students in Pennsylvania. Donna worked at a grocery store owned by Gary’s father, and a simple conversation over the butcher block sparked what would become a lifelong partnership.

“One day we were talking over the butcher block, and she says, ‘What did you do last night?’” Gary recalled. “I said, ‘Oh, we went to a drive-in movie.’ She said, ‘But it was raining last night.’ I said, ‘But you could still see the movie — maybe I’ll take you sometime.’

“I thought it was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Donna said. “I was taken.”

The couple married and went on to raise two sons, a period they both describe as the happiest chapter of their lives.

“Watching them grow, and get married and have families,” Gary said.

“I’d do it all over again,” Donna said. 

Their marriage was not without hardship. The Downeys said they endured a miscarriage and later navigated health challenges together, experiences they said strengthened their bond. 

The Downeys recently moved to Texas to be closer to family. Their love, which began in a small-town grocery store, has since expanded to include children and grandchildren. 

Their family gathers each summer at the Downeys’ longtime home in New York state, a tradition that remains a source of pride and emotion for the couple. 

“I’m proud that all of my grandchildren still …,” Gary said, his voice trailing off as he became emotional. 

For Gary, reflecting on the legacy created over 65 years of marriage is gift enough this Valentine’s Day; better than anything money can buy.