A long-lasting love

Kathy and Jerry Stein on their wedding day, March 29, 2025. [Photo by Dave Schlenker]

Like Frank Sinatra sang back in the 1960s, love is lovelier “The Second Time Around.”

Such is the case with Jerry and Kathy (Clevinger) Stein, who met when she was 12 and he was 14. They dated during their early years in college, took different paths in life and recently got back together again.

As their story goes, Jerry proposed marriage to Kathy on her 18th birthday, on March 29, 1972, but they didn’t walk down the aisle until March 29, 2025, the day she turned 71.

“He wanted us to elope that night and go to Georgia,” Kathy recalled of that day in 1972. “He wanted us to get married. He was a junior in college in Melbourne and I was starting at UCF. He wanted us to be married when I started college. I said, ‘Yes, I want to marry you, but I can’t get married and not tell my parents.’ I said, ‘Let’s wait a little.’ Well, we did wait. We waited 53 years.”

Kathy still remembers their first meeting “like it was yesterday.” Their fathers, both letter carriers for the Ocala Post Office, had become friends. Jerry’s father also fixed broken appliances in a workshop he had set up in his garage. One day, Kathy and her father brought a broken toaster there for repair. Jerry was there working on a science fair project, a small version of a Tesla coil that could illuminate light bulbs. He later won the state science fair with that project.

“It was 1966. I thought he was the cutest,” said Kathy, remembering the moment she first set eyes on Jerry. “It was love at first sight, for both of us. For a couple hours, Jerry was showing me his science projects while our dads were talking.”

Because they lived on different sides of town and went to different schools, Kathy didn’t know if she’d ever see Jerry again.

“After that, I broke the toaster on purpose,” she said. “I took the little spring out and my father didn’t know how to fix things. Back then you didn’t buy new appliances, you got them fixed.”

Jerry and Kathy gave each other promise rings on Christmas Eve in 1971 and continued dating into their early college years. Circumstances led them on different paths, however. Jerry went on to study pharmacology and Kathy pursued her master’s degree in speech and language pathology.

Jerry was married for 39 years and had four children, all professionals, then divorced 12 years ago. Kathy was married twice. She had one son, William Clevinger, an accomplished film producer.

During their five decades apart, Kathy kept a photo album/journal about their early years together. She said she prayed often for Jerry, her “first and only love.” They reconnected a couple years ago on Facebook with Christmas and birthday greetings.

By this time, Jerry, a cancer survivor, was suffering from several orthopedic ailments.

“I was in really bad shape and had no hope for the future,” he said.

Though he wanted to see Kathy again, he hesitated to make plans.

“He said he didn’t want me to see him like that,” recalled Kathy. “He didn’t want to be a burden to me. I said, ‘You can’t say I can’t come and see you or be in your life again just because you’re sick. I’ve waited my whole life to see you again. I prayed that God would allow me to see you one more time.’”

On Aug. 12, 2022, they met in person and went out for lunch.

“We talked for two or three hours,” said Kathy. “It was like those 50 years went poof! Three years ago, I was ready to give up on life and so was Jerry,” she said. “I was in a very abusive marriage that I should have had the courage to get out of a long time ago. I literally didn’t care if I lived or died.”

Kathy moved Jerry out of the assisted living facility where he was receiving treatments and got him back into his own apartment. She bought him a walker and took him to doctor’s appointments. There was something therapeutic about the reunion. Kathy said their doctors were amazed at how much their health had improved.

“We really saved each other’s lives,” she said. “Finding each other again and reconnecting gave us hope and made us want to live again. God gave us a miracle. He really did.”

The Steins eloped on November 30, 2023, and followed up with a wedding ceremony and reception on March 29, 2025, on Kathy’s 71st birthday, exactly 53 years from the day Jerry first proposed.

Kathy’s younger brother, Dr. Sid Clevinger, gave her away. In attendance were more than 120 family members and friends, including 10 of Kathy’s sorority sisters. Kathy’s dear friend Jaye Perrett sang “Grow Old Along With Me” and her nephew, Adam Langenmayr, conducted the ceremony.

“It was a magical day, all our dreams finally came true,” said Kathy. “We had young love, now we have golden love. But we can’t live with regrets. Although it would have been wonderful to have a family together and share life together, I never loved anybody else but him.”

Since marrying, the Steins purchased a motorhome and plan to make a honeymoon trip along the east coast this fall.

“It’s a miracle we got back together,” Jerry said. “Every day I discover something new about her, and it gets better every day. She’s making my dreams come true.”

Jerry and Kathy

6 photos