Features

Love Stories Chance meetings that changed lives

Love at first sight? Some alums say it's happened to them. One reports that he actually got weak in the knees and fell over the first time he glimpsed his future wife. And then there are other stories of love that started unexpectedly. One alum claims his bride-to-be jumped out of the bushes. Another couple met while counting frog heartbeats in a zoology lab. No matter when or how love struck, these UNH alums--more than 200 couples--were happy to share their stories, both here and online (www.alumni.unh.edu/howwemet or see "UNH Magazine" on Facebook), offering delightful proof that the path to lasting love is always cause for celebration.

Melinda Hallisey '92
Christian Antonucci '90
Melinda: We met at a UNH alumni event in Boston in 1993, and then again at another UNH alumni event in 1999. We married at UNH's New England Center in 2006. Our wedding party, including the person who married us, consisted of UNH alums, except for one bridesmaid and one reader. Our wedding "save the date" notice included photos of our UNH IDs!

Heidi Wiberg Hastings '85
Gary Hastings '84
Gary: Heidi and I met in high school and continued dating at UNH. After graduation, we often visited campus. One day we decided to spend an afternoon along the Oyster River. I had been promising Heidi for years that I would someday sketch her portrait. This was to be that day. As we drove through campus, I made a quick stop and purchased six red roses from the florist on Main Street while Heidi waited in the car. I told her I wanted her to hold the roses as I sketched her portrait.

We found a nice quiet spot along the river, and I sketched for about 45 minutes until she started to get impatient. Finally I announced that it was finished. She rushed over to see the results. She seemed confused--there was no portrait at all, but just a sketch of the six roses with a few words: "Will You Marry Me?" Then she noticed I had drawn a diamond ring hanging from one of the rose stems. She immediately turned to the roses, tore away the wrapper and discovered the ring that the florist had tied to the stem just an hour earlier. We celebrated our 21st anniversary this year. We have three great children, and we still love to visit UNH as often as time permits.

Margaret Clare McQuillan Brown '47
Clark Brown '47
Clark: It was a lovely Saturday afternoon in early spring 1946. I was coming from Boston but the train did not stop in Durham, and I had to get off in Dover. I decided to check out a restaurant located in what we called the Upper Square. It was well known because we could buy beer there. As I entered I saw Wally Ackerman '43 in one of the booths. Wally and I were originally in the Class of '43. He was one of the lucky ones who had been able to find a car for sale after the war. On that day he had taken his girlfriend and two other girls over to Dover. I joined the group and met a girl with red curly hair named Mac. Something clicked. Ours was a campus romance. We were married the following January and will soon celebrate our 62nd anniversary.



Clare: Durham could be a pretty dull place on weekends, so for a little excitement with the added attraction of a beer, we headed for Dover. There was a little beer joint that was "the place" where you'd probably meet fellow students. I was with Wally Ackerman and his girlfriend when I looked toward the door and saw this tall guy with perfect posture walk in. Fortunately for me, Wally knew him and introduced us. Ten months later, we were married and we still are.

Kay Massey Lyon '55
George Lyon '53
George: We met in fall 1952 on campus during a blood drive. We were lying right next to each other and they were having a difficult time drawing blood from Kay, so we struck up a conversation. She has not given blood since. I am a regular donor and delight in telling the person drawing my blood how I met my wife.

Harriet Forkey '54, '67G
Jere Lundholm '53
Jere: I had returned to UNH in the late fall of 1954 while doing graduate work at MIT, and met Harriet at a social gathering at Chi Omega. We enjoyed many skiing trips to the White Mountains. After graduating, Harriet left to teach in upstate New York and I left to fulfill an ROTC obligation in the Air Force. Twenty years later I arrived at Logan Airport in Boston, and much to my pleasant surprise, I saw her arriving for the same ski trip to Switzerland and Austria. This trip rekindled our love and led to our marriage. We have retired to Durham and love living close to the campus that has meant so much to both of us for many years.