Never Too Late To Find Love In Lakewood

Ron and Lillie

What are the odds? Two people at opposite ends of the county made decisions that caused them to arrive at the same place, around the same time, living at opposite ends of the same building? Add to this, the chance of one catching a glimpse of the other and a few coincidental elements, and it smacks of the improbable. Maybe, because of the beliefs of the two subjects of this story, Lillie and Ron, the Almighty saw fit to make something wonderful happen. Depends on what you believe, I suppose. 

You have to understand that Lillie ended up in this new place because of events 17 years ago. It was then that her beloved husband, (coincidentally, also named Ronnie), passed away quickly and suddenly in front of her and her sons. The way he died, and the timing, so young, devastated their family. Lillie decided to move from North Carolina back to Lakewood, then moved a few times until she applied at the Westerly. Until now, Lillie never had a thought about dating, or meeting anyone. She was busy with her life: family, friends and church, and had no real reason to replace the best and only man she had ever known. As for Ron, his life was also changing, and he decided to come to Lakewood of all places. He, on the other hand, did have thoughts of finding someone, but not just anyone, someone of God’s choosing. Imagine that. 

I was lucky enough to have been told of THE karaoke night we would all remember, and then, not wanting to wait for an invitation, bold enough to invite myself. Coincidentally, a lovely woman, Josie, sat by me who turned out to be Ron’s good friend. She was the only other one who knew the secret that was about to be announced. And what an announcement it was - shocking the attendees - Ron announced that he and Lillie had gotten married. One resident thought they were going to announce maybe an engagement, but this - a marriage!? Most everyone was happy for them.

Josie decided that I should call the local paper to get this cute story told. I am the cousin twin of Lillie. And so I did. Sort of. I looked up the Lakewood Observer, and it read, "All published stories come from you! Even if you think you don’t have writing skills, we are never amazed at how well-versed one becomes when writing about what they know…" And so here it is! And this is what starts the love story of Lillie and Ron.  

It started with a simple song request at karaoke. Ron is the host and main attraction singing and playing guitar.

“So Lillie, how did it happen that you went to karaoke?” I asked.

“My friend, Kathy, kept asking me to go and I wouldn’t. Then, one night, Kathy said I had to go because she was singing, and so I went and she sang, “These Boots Were Made for Walking,” by Nancy Sinatra, and danced the Pony, and it was so much fun.” She and Kathy had been friends in high school, and here they were, coincidentally, years later, at the same place, at the same time and one asked the other to do something different. There also was one other little element: Kathy was secretly interested in Ron. 

Ron noticed Lillie at karaoke that night.

“But what was it about her?” I asked him.

“She looked out of place,” he said. She looked very young and he didn’t think she lived here at the Westerly. Ron also looks years younger than his 71 years and too young to live at a senior apartment. Ron asked for requests and Lillie requested one of her favorite songs, “Friends in Low Places,” by Garth Brooks. Ron asked if she would sing it with him if he played it and Lillie declined. He then asked her name with such expression that it startled her. By evening’s end, he had not sung her request. Maybe he wanted to get a reaction, or to start a little conversation? Maybe. 

Lillie ran into him here and there, and he would try to talk to her, and mostly, she would answer quickly and go about her business. On one occasion, she was playing cards with a friend, and he came by and mentioned some gospel songs, and that created an interest because she’s a Christian and deeply involved in all aspects. She still had no idea he was interested in her and was not interested in him. She saw him as just someone to talk to occasionally. 

Then Kathy suggested she, Lillie and Ron have dinner to work on an upcoming musical program, and so they did. After dinner, he said, “I have a confession to make.”  Lillie stood at the door to leave, and asked, “Oh, Ron what do you have to confess?” laughing. He answered her with this: “From the first time I saw you, I had to know who you were. You’re the prettiest person here.”

Lillie says, "I was thinking, that’s so sweet, and waited for Kathy to say something and instead Kathy said, 'I want to hug him for you,' and I was so surprised that he was talking to me!"

So Lillie went over and hugged him, and he said to Kathy, “She’s the prettiest girl and she smells great.” At that moment Lillie looked at Ron differently. Ron called Lillie after that to tell her she left her sweater, and she told him to call Kathy, it was hers. He kept trying to see her and spend some time, but Lillie was oblivious to this fact. 

What really was attractive to Ron was what he found out about Lillie after becoming Facebook friends with her. “I kept checking her posts and found she shares a lot of gospel tracts and verses and it was interesting because I’m a Christian first and foremost. I don’t wear it all the way, but this is where it really got started, because then I just started liking her posts and talking to her about the Bible and gospel and where she went to church, then one thing led to another.” 

Finally, they had coffee together. Her coffee is so strong that they call it crunchy coffee. So they shared crunchy coffee and scripture. Then they just started having dinner more often, just the two of them, and listened to gospel music, exchanged music, and piqued each others’ interests. 

Lillie was feeling very good around Ron, especially since they shared this love of Christianity. She called the feeling, “Full of God.” Or, was it also something else? In the meantime, Lillie started to wonder why she was feeling so different so often, about him. What was going on? So, she did what she normally does when she doesn’t have an answer, and she prayed and asked God. They had coffee again, as he was leaving, she gave him the obligatory hug, and he put his hand on the table and said, exasperated, “I am trying to pursue you!”

“Oh," Lillie said. She didn’t know what to say to that. So, she asked God, “If this isn’t anything you want me to pursue, make him go away.” But he kept coming back. 

Joanne Gibbons is a former advertising/marketing/PR person turned public servant at Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, now retired. She spends her time volunteering for the Metroparks and for the Community-Based Correctional Facility in Cleveland, working on houses and writing. She lived in Lakewood for years, and now resides in Parma.  She has four children who attended Lakewood schools and graduated, three have found careers in Colorado, North Carolina, New York, and one in North Olmsted. She has wonderful sons- and daughters-in-law, three fabulously talented grandchildren and can't wait to meet the 4th coming in May. She also has many children's books in the works and is having a blast in retirement. 

Look for Part 2 in the next issue of the Lakewood Observer.