Couple Fell In Love During WWII, Then After 75 Years Of Marriage Die Hours Apart
September 28, 2017
Jean and George Spears met and fell in love in a London dance hall during World War II. Their sweet love story stretched for decade after decade. Then, just one month after their 75th wedding anniversary, the WWII lovebirds died hours apart. And still reeling from the sudden loss of both parents, their children say the couple's deaths defy “any sort of logic.”
A War Bride And Her Officer
The year was 1941. Jean lived and worked in London, and headed with friends to a dancehall. It's there she met George, a sergeant major with the 1st Corps Field Survey Co. of the Royal Canadian Engineers, who would later go on to become an intelligence officer.
George spotted Jean in her red dress, and was instantly smitten.
“That was it for me. I never let her out of my sight,” he said.
[rsnippet id="3" name="Article-Ad"]
Jean wasn't that impressed with George's footwear, but decided to give him a chance on the dance floor.
"She looked down at my army boots and said, 'I don't know whether we can or not with those clodhoppers you're wearing," George said during the couple's 72nd wedding anniversary. "That was our introduction. I said, 'Let's give it a try.' And we did. And that was it."
RELATED: D-Day Veteran Will Marry His Former Fiancee 70 Years After They Split
But the two quickly fell in love as they danced the night away.
Credit: Ottawa Citizen/Post Media"He had his army boots on but he could dance. And his rhythm was perfect. So we didn't dance with anyone else the whole evening." Jean recalled.
One year later, in 1942, the couple wed. With the war raging on, there wasn't time for a big to do. Jean wore a dress borrowed from the butcher’s daughter.
“When you met a boy, you made the most of every moment because you just didn’t know when or if you’d meet again. There was a stimulation about it, a wonderful, wonderful excitement that is hard to describe and hard to understand if you weren’t there. The worry sharpened your senses,” Jean said.
In 1944, the couple headed back to George's home in Canada. There, they enjoyed many decades as loving husband and wife.
WWII Lovebirds Died Hours Apart
A month after celebrating their 75th anniversary, 94-year-old Jean came down with pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital on a Tuesday. She and 97-year-old George chatted on the phone on Wednesday. And then on Thursday, George fell into a deep sleep and wound up in the hospital as well.
Credit: Ottawa CitizenHospital staff tried getting the couple reunited on the same floor. But before they could, the WWII lovebirds died hours apart. Jean fell into a peaceful sleep and passed away at 4:30 a.m. the next day. Just a few hours later, at 9:45 a.m., George followed his sweet bride's lead.
“But this defies any sort of logic. We were overwhelmed by the suddenness of it,” says their daughter, Heather Spear.
Remembering This Special Couple
The grieving children find comfort in telling stories about Jean and George, and their incredible love story. They say the two always complemented each other so well. Jean was the more outgoing, and loved parties and chatting.
“We laugh a little about it because she was the stronger of the two about what she wanted to do or not do,” says Heather. “She was a force to be reckoned with.”
George was quieter and loved the outdoors.
RELATED: Couple Married 63 Years Leave For Heaven Together
Having relocated from London to Canada to be with her husband, Jean continued to support folks back home during the war, organizing a drive to send food and care packages to families in London's East End. She also helped form a club for war brides, with her efforts gaining recognition and honor by the Queen of England in 2006!
Five years later, the couple attended a private reception with Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, held in Ottawa. At the event, George proudly showed Kate a 1942 photograph of Jean he'd kept inside his soldier's beret.
“Kate asked if I had always kept the photo and I replied, ‘All through the war and ever since,’” George explained.
The incredible love shared by Jean and George is the fondest memory, by far. Jean herself described the blessing of such an amazing marriage.
“I realized when we met that we were on to a good thing," she explained. "When we got married, we thought we were in heaven. Throughout our lives, the ups and downs, we know that together we are a good thing. We recognize it and have never failed to acknowledge it.”
We can just picture these two lovebirds dancing in Heaven!
"He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord." Proverbs 18:22
h/t: People
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Elderly Couple Married 62 Years Pass Away Together While Holding Hands
Credit: KPRC Click2HoustonToday's Devotional
A Prayer for a Thankful Heart through a Disappointing Season - Your Daily Prayer - November 22
I pray you will open your eyes to God today while he holds your hand and heart through all the hard stuff surrounding you. Let’s choose thankfulness. It absolutely does help, dear friend.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Gratitude in Times of Abundance - Your Daily Prayer - November 21
Let us be people who seek God daily with our full hearts, no matter what is swirling around us.
Past Stories
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
- UPS Driver Jumps into Action As He Spots Elderly Woman on the Ground & Says It Was All God
- Rescuer Braces for the Worst After Spotting Kitten on the Side of the Road, Then Sees a Paw Move
- AJ Griffin Gives Up High-Paying Career with NBA to Follow God
- These Former Conjoined Twins Finally Go Home After Their First Birthday
- Teenager From Iowa Uses His Flying Skills to Help Hurricane Helene Victims
- Son Saves For 9 Months and Surprises Mom By Paying Off Her Mortgage
- Woman's Home is Surrounded By 100 Raccoons, and They Aren't Leaving Anytime Soon
- Dog Saves Her Owner's Life By Sitting in the Middle of the Road
- Widower Shares the Last Thing His Wife Told Their Son Before She Passed Away From Cancer
- A Nurse Saved Her Life 35 Years Ago, Now, She is Surprising Her With a Visit
- These Twin Sisters Have An Important Message To Share On Their 102nd Birthday
- This Brave 5-Year-Old Saved Her Mother's Life By Calling 911
- 79-Year-Old Broke Her Ankle After Scattering Her Mom's Ashes, Then Strangers Save the Day
- Dad Travels Through Mud and Debris to Walk His Daughter Down the Aisle
- Owner's Trip to the Vet with Unwell Dog Results in the Craziest X-Ray
- After Getting Lost in Yellowstone, This Precious Cat Made His Way Back Home To California
- Mom's Funny Response To Daughter's Dirty Sock On The Floor Goes Viral & Ends Up Doing Good
- A Kidnapped Boy Is Found After 70 Years and Reunited With His Family
- This Puppy Was Found With a Note That Read 'Help Me,' Now He's Looking For a New Home
- Excited Mom Couldn't Wait to See Son's Back to School Pictures, but Funny Results Make Her LOL
- When This Police Officer Pulled Her Over, He Changed Her Life Forever
- She Just Met Her Vietnam Veteran Father After 50 Years, Now He is Walking Her Down the Aisle
- Fearless Father Waits on Porch to Catch the Stranger Peeking in His Daughter's Window
- This 5th Grade Teacher Eats Lunch In the Cafeteria Every Day
- Amy Grant Has a New Perspective After Losing Her 'Superpower' in Bike Accident
- 'God Did It' Says 18-Year-Old After Waking Up From a Coma Following a Crash
- These Four Sisters Share a Birthday, Which is Quite the Miracle
- Dad Harmony Sings a Beautiful A Cappella Rendition of ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love'
Top Music Videos
CCM Magazine Matthew West | '18 Summers' (acoustic)
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Anne Wilson The Manger’ Anne Wilson And Josh Turner Christmas Hymn
CCM Magazine Oak Ridge Boys Singer William Lee Golden Shares How Group Has Navigated Recent Loss and Grief
Anne Wilson Anne Wilson Inspires with Powerful 'Stand' Lyric Video Performance
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.