SPECIAL 24 IslandVibesIOP.com It’s a love story over 50 years in the making. Billy and Lisa Lempesis knew each other in high school and had met as children through their parents. Lisa recalled, “When we were young, I was actually friendlier with Billy’s cousin because he was younger than Billy.” Lisa continued, “When Billy was at The Lovely Lempesis The Heartfelt Harringtons Couples with Chemistry Island valentines share lovely encounters By Laura Fogarty Patrick and Barbara “Barby” Harrington celebrate their 58th wedding anniversary on Feb. 11. While recalling how they fell in love, Barby sounded as though she had only recently met Patrick, with a fondness and sweetness in her voice that comes through in every single syllable. “Patrick and I met in a local dive in Florida over the Fourth of July. He was there training with the USA Wrestling team trying out for the Olympics,” she recounted. Barby joked, “That’s how South Carolina and Michigan get together. They meet in Fort Lauderdale.” Patrick was a teacher and wrestling coach in Michigan and stopped for four days in Charleston to see Barby on his way home that August. Barby Continued on Page 25 the College of Charleston, I was in high school. I came to a fraternity party with a date that ended up having too much to drink. I was crying because I just wanted to go home. I spotted Billy across the parking lot and asked him for help.” Billy stepped in as a knight in shining armor, enlisting the aid of two female friends to get Lisa home safely after her rather unfortunate date. Billy explained, “I gave the girls gas money for taking Lisa home and told her she was too young to be at a fraternity party in the first place.” Lisa picked up the story from here. “He told me never to be anywhere unless you can get yourself home. Always have gas money and a plan. I took that advice to heart and never put myself in a similar situation again, but I never got to thank him and I always wished that I had.” Lisa and Billy hadn’t seen each other in 50 years when they both attended a high school reunion for multiple years of graduating classes in 2020. Upon seeing Billy, Lisa reintroduced herself and thanked him for his help at that fraternity party years ago. Lisa and Billy had both recently gotten divorced and Lisa was set to catch the last flight out of Charleston back to Michigan after the reunion, before COVID shut everything down. “Billy called every night after that. He sent me chocolate during COVID because you couldn’t buy chocolate or other nonessentials in Michigan at that time. My mother and my sister still lived here and I helped with them and Billy helped me with that.” Billy and Lisa Lempesis were married in May 2023. They share a blended family of three children and six grandchildren. Though they might have taken the long way around, they finally ended up with the right person. Seems like it was well worth the wait. went to Michigan that November to visit over Thanksgiving break when Patrick proposed to her for the first time. Barby’s initial answer was “maybe.” She explained, “I’d only just met him!”
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