Benches of love

It was like a scene out of a movie.

Benjamin Kraut, on the cusp of death due to a ruptured heart valve at the age of 83, rallies to life.

Several months later, he proposes to Jean Marcus, 76. She accepts.

They invite all their dog-loving friends, whom they’ve come to know at Harbor View Hills South in Newport Beach.

They got married July 26 on John Wayne’s yacht, the Wild Goose, which they chartered.

Now, there’s a park bench dedicated to them for all to see and sit on.

It was installed over the weekend.

There’s a beautiful plaque as well.

It reads, “Ben and Jean United in Love, July 26, 2009.”

Nearly 50 people and 26 dogs showed up for the ceremony, a sort of belated but much appreciated wedding present for the relatively new love birds.

“We really thought Ben was going to die and we were going to have to pull the plug, but then he rallied,” said Jean Marcus Kraut, a Michigan native who came to Orange County in 1972. “He was on life support for three days. He was in the intensive care unit at Hoag for three weeks.”

The installation of the park bench never would have materialized had it not been for Anita Travers, who came up with the idea, and Marcy Vazquez, who carried it out by collecting the money and talking to the city of Newport Beach for permission.

And let’s not forget the couple’s miniature pincher, Cayenne, who originally brought everybody together at the greenbelt just east of East Coast Highway off of Marguerite Avenue in that special neighborhood.

“A strong bond of friendship has evolved from our canine socials, and Ben and Jean have shown enormous generosity and community spirit, organizing many holiday and birthday get togethers,” said Marion Renk-Rosenthal, a neighbor and dog-lover.

Ben Kraut was a doctor most of his life. He came to the United States from Poland at the age of 12, one year before Nazi Germany invaded his country.

Jean worked as a sort of a travel guide, arranging trips overseas for hundreds of thousands of college students for dozens of universities.

Both were widows at the time that they exchanged vows.

Now the pair are living happily ever after — in love with one another, with their union now permanently displayed in wood for all to see.