‘Unfinished business’ and other tales of finding love

* EDITOR’S NOTE: We asked. You answered. How did you meet that special someone, that person of your dreams, the love of your life? All the cliches that are so appropriate as Valentine’s Day approaches. The answers ranged from high school to well past the teenage years. Some loves went unfulfilled for decades. Some were complete surprises. All feel right. Sit back, maybe cuddle up to that special someone in your life, and enjoy your neighbors’ tales of love.

I met my loved one, Arthur Sheffield, in 1948 at Lake Warth High School in Florida. I was a junior and he was a senior and I fell in “crush” big time. We dated a lot and even dated others. I really wanted him all to myself, but sex got in the way. He tried, but I was too Catholic, and my mother said “No!”

He dazzled me on an off for three years then left to join the Air Force, and I married another guy, one of his fraternity brothers. Years passed. I had a husband and four sons. Arthur had a wife and two daughters.

I was campaigning for President John F. Kennedy in Palm Beach, Fla., in 1963 when I met Arthur’s best friend, who immediately called him and told him I was “in town.”

Arthur came and met me and we spoke of our feelings for one another, still, that never went away. As we prepared to leave I said to him, “We will be together again, probably in our 60s or 70s.”

We laughed, yet neither one of us forgot that. We carried it through the years.

Last October he called me! (He first called our high school reunion committee woman, and she gave him my phone number.) We took it from there, as we were both available. It was easy for me. I have always loved him and thought of him constantly, as he was truly my high school sweetheart. Little did I know he felt the same way and told me all the things I had been longing to hear.

He flew into Vegas from West Palm Beach, and I drove there to meet him on neutral ground. We reacquainted and then drove back to Costa Mesa and he stayed with me for a few days. That was the beginning.

He’s been back three times now and after endless daily phone calls, he will be here permanently in March. We will then be one.

Who knew that after 58 years we would have and share the same feelings. We call it “unfinished business.”

SALLY BROWN

Costa Mesa

I met my Valentine, Maxine Hertzberg, almost 28 years ago at the wedding of her cousin, who happens to be a good friend of mine! How romantic! I knew the moment we met that she was the woman of my dreams!

How fortunate I am that she agreed to marry me 25 years ago. Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetheart. May our honeymoon never end.

I love you.

DAVID HERTZBERG

Newport Beach

It was March of 1989. I was a single mom of four young children under the age of 8. We were living with my parents in the Bay Area.

One of my friends from church called at 9:30 p.m. to invite me to the movies with her and her brother, who was visiting from Orange County. I told Carole that the kids were already in bed and that I was in my pajamas -- no way was I going to go out that late at night.

Carole can be persuasive, and I did change. I was standing in their family kitchen with my back to the door, visiting with the family.

John walked in. When I turned around, I felt like I was struck by lightening. He was so handsome and a little rebellious, with a mullet haircut and faded jeans. We had lots in common since we both went to the same high school but didn’t know each other then. We dated for three years and married on New Year’s Eve in 1992. John has been an exceptional father to my children, and now we are going through being empty nesters. I thank God every day for him.

MARIELLA WARREN

Costa Mesa

I had received orders in mid-1944 to a new ship building in Long Beach. Thus, I traveled from Naples ,Italy, (just liberated) via North Africa across the Atlantic Ocean and the United States to my new station.

On my very first night ashore with several shipmates ,we enjoyed the services of the sky room of a local hotel. When the time came to return to the ship, I boarded the elevator for the “eight-floor descent.” Lo and behold, there was this very attractive and friendly blond. Realizing that eight floors was hardly time to engage in a conversation, I blurted out, “Would you like to attend our ship’s commissioning, which takes place next week?”

She nodded in the affirmative and the rest is family history.

That was almost 62 years ago.

LEFTY LAVRAKAS

Costa Mesa

Picture this: the third row of a high school chemistry class, with a handsome, intelligent 16-year-old fellow in the front desk and a romantic 15-year-old girl sitting right behind him. The girl, me, fell in love with the young fellow’s voice, head, shoulders, back and hands (he was always raising them to answer our teacher’s questions).

A few months later, the fellow withdrew from school and spent the remainder of the year hospitalized with tuberculosis. We wrote letters to each other and my family and I visited him often.

Finally, he returned to school for his senior year. One day, on a field trip, I made sure we sat together on the bus. That day, we held hands for the first time. Forty-eight years later, we’re still holding hands.

FLO MARTIN

Costa Mesa

Our meeting was a wonderful surprise to both of us. We were virtual strangers when we met as bridesmaid and groomsman at our friends’ wedding. We were delighted to find one another and have been together ever since (13 years).

Joan and Jack Andersen

Newport Beach

Ah, where do I begin?

We met on my 42nd birthday in August, 2002, at the concerts in Fashion Island (we had a mutual friend). However, the operative word is “met.”

One month later at a party we attended (separately) we both were given the best costume award. However, we still did not date until December of that year when I had a Christmas party to go to in Arcadia (from Corona del Mar) and did not want to go by myself (again!).

So, I invited Jim Jacoby. We had a wonderful time but I knew he was the one when he and I touched our pinkies late in the evening at the party.

Valentine’s Day is significant to us as the day after Valentine’s Day (long story as to why it’s the day after) in 2004, Jim proposed and, of course, I accepted!

KAREN KEWELL JACOBY

Corona del Mar

Don’t ever let it be said “you will never find a good man in a bar.” That is exactly where my man found me and vice versa.

He was a swinging, 35-year-old bartender, and I was a divorced woman four years his senior with seven children. He would serve me colas while I shot pool, and never in a million years would I have ever thought he was interested in me. But he was, and eventually he asked me out on a date.

Two months into dating we were at Patrick’s Pub shooting pool with a full house of friends. Then he comes up to me while I am racking the balls and whispers in my ear, “Take off your shoes.” I look at him and laugh, telling him to leave me alone so I can rack.

He doesn’t give up; he repeats, “Take off your shoes.”

Now I am getting a little bugged, when he looks me in the eyes and says ever so sweetly, “Please just take off your shoes.” I do it only to see him also slipping off his shoes and climbing onto the pool table. He reaches out his hands pulls me on to the table as well.

It is at that point I notice the bar is silent, the juke box has become silent and everyone is looking at us. Slowly he bends down onto one knee and asks me to be his wife. I, of course, say yes as he slips a beautiful diamond engagement ring on to my hand.

The tears of joy slip softly from our eyes. It is at that moment we both realize that we are to be together forever. It has been almost seven years since he proposed and six years since we were married. We have 11 beautiful children, 10 of which we have adopted together. He truly knocked me for a loop. I never expected it to be like that.

I want him to know this Valentine’s Day and every day that I love him with all my heart, and he is now and always will be my true love and my soul mate.

GRETA ANDERSON-DAVIS

Costa Mesa

Many, many years ago while attending a private all-girls high school, as a senior I enrolled in a required marriage prep class taught by a nun (who probably never dated prior to entering the convent), I had to make a list of the top five requirements in a perspective husband. 1. respectful of everyone; 2. a Christian; 3. college degree (at least); 4. very motivated; 5. creative.

During my college days and the dating scene, I reflected upon these qualities often, but never really found a man who fit the bill entirely. Some had two or three requirements -- but not all five rolled into one man.

After I graduated from college, I moved to San Francisco. After dating several law students, I met John. We became friends and began to work on a photo-journalism project together while he was getting his MBA. He had all the requirements plus some.

But where was the chemistry?

About three months later things began snapping like crazy: We got married, had a daughter, he enrolled in Brooks Institute of Photography, we had two more children, and we started a photography studio 27 years ago. My list learned so long ago became the glue that binds us together today.

CHLOE BEESON BLOM

Newport Beach

It was hate at first sight -- for her. It was the exact opposite at first sight for me!

I was invited to chaperon a dozen girls for a bachelorette party in Cabo San Lucas. The guys in the wedding party were going to Aspen; the girls were going south. The bridegroom was a little worried about all of the girls being in Mexico alone, and asked me if I would mind “looking after them,” with the bride insisting. It took less than a second and I agreed.

Upon arrival I was introduced to the few girls I didn’t know; one in particular kept giving me dirty looks and commenting on how disgusting it was to have a guy on the trip. After teaching the girls to play “quarters” on the Hotel Hacienda balcony, and in the process of getting fairly tipsy, she finally decided to give me a piece of her mind -- it wasn’t pretty.

From that point on, I simply ignored her, and it drove her crazy. On the ride home from the airport back to Newport Beach, I somehow ended up sitting next to her. She wasn’t very happy about that either.

Months later I saw her driving in Laguna Beach and waved her over, never thinking she would stop. Something was different. Not for me -- for her. We set up a date, and here we are, married, 17 years later.

We should have left good enough alone -- just kidding -- no really, honey, just kidding!

JEFF REUTER

Newport Beach

I met my love, Janice, in 1988, when she was visiting my mother and ailing stepfather at Hoag Hospital. Though poets often get starry eyed, I immediately knew she was the one for me. After all, how could I ask for more than a smart, compassionate and statuesque redhead?

At that time, she was an emergency room ER nurse working in Los Angeles, and our love grew and grew.

Now retired, Janice will soon join me in Newport, where I will host and read love poetry at Alta Coffee on Valentine’s night. Indeed, my thoughts, my heart and all my words will be for her!

LEE MALLORY

Newport Beach20060212iui4n0nc(LA)Arthur Sheffield and Sally Brown at John Wayne Airport20060212iui4ognc(LA)Greta Anderson-Davis’ husband proposes. 20060212iui4panc(LA)Karen Kewell Jacoby and Jim Jacoby20060212iui4nunc(LA)Arthur Sheffield and Sally Brown Arthur Sheffield and Sally Brown at John Wayne Airport20060212iui4mpnc(LA)Maxine Hertzberg20060212iui4o4nc(LA)Mariella and John Warren 20060212iui4otnc(LA)Janice Kerr and Lee Mallory