At his sister’s wedding in Paramus, New Jersey, in 1959, Joseph Potenzano first met Mary Elkind. She was the maid of honor and he was the best man. The two hit it off and dated for a bit, but Elkind was a ballet dancer and had an opportunity to tour with a company in Europe, so their romance eventually fizzled out.
Elkind went on to marry another man and Potenzano even attended the wedding. She and her husband had three children and she settled into life as a wife and mother. Potenzano never did end up getting married, but he remained friends with Elkind and her family over the years. Then about nine years ago, Elkind’s husband passed away. After a few years had passed, Potenzano asked Elkind out for coffee and soon the two went on their first official date in over six decades.
Joseph said he told Mary "If this romance is going to go anywhere, it’s got to happen fast. That’s why I broached the subject of marriage so quickly. Because at 93 I may only have a few more years.”
Mary says "I thought he was real cute when we met and I’ve always cared for Joe,”adding that she’d often wondered what her life would have been like if they’d stayed together all those years ago. They have a date set for the wedding in October. At 93, Potenzano is giving up the bachelor life and settling down. After the wedding, the newlyweds will be off to Cape Cod for their honeymoon.