On the wings of love, a real angel

Marcia Kolovich started collecting angels when she was a child. Glass ones, tall ones, hanging ones, ones that sit on shelves, and more. Thousands of them now. At age 65, she has a huge collection.
But, it wasn't until about a year ago, she said, that "a real angel came into my life."
After 65 years of single life, and four marriage proposals from four suitors, which she turned down, Marcia is going to marry that "angel." Come Saturday at St. Paul the Apostle Church in New Middletown, she will become Joe Allison's wife.
Sitting amid the unpacked boxes and hurriedly arranged furniture of their just-moved-into Poland home, Marcia and Joe told of a union that took almost five decades to happen.
Starting outby taking notice
The two were members of the Ursuline High School Class of 1957.
"At that time, he didn't even talk," Marcia said,
Joe said, "I noticed Marcia, oh geez, freshman year. She was the tallest girl in the class; you couldn't help but notice her. But she was very quiet, and so was I."
Marcia noticed Joe, too. He was "always in a hurry" and "always deeply engrossed in thought, like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders."
But, with both of them shy and self-conscious, nothing more than an occasional "Hi, how ya doin'?" materialized.
Marcia eventually bloomed, heading to Youngstown College and a degree in education. She ultimately taught for 47 years, beginning at St. Rose in Girard, then Holy Family. After earning a second bachelor's degree in sociology and anthropology, she left for California and taught there for four years.
"My parents started having health problems in the summer of 1966, so I came back home," she said. By fall, she was teaching at Hubbard Middle School. In addition to having gotten to "meet a lot of people and go a lot of places," she had grown in confidence.
"My sister said I broke a lot of hearts," Marcia confessed. But when each marriage proposal was proffered, she refused. "Marriage is a lifelong commitment, and with everyone I was involved with, I thought of how many years were ahead of me. Though there were good points, I just couldn't say yes."
She had grown in beauty after high school as well. Just two years after graduation, the Ursuline class had a reunion. "She bowled me over," Joe said. "I was flabbergasted. She had undergone quite a transformation. I remembered her being tall and slender, with a bit of acne, but when I saw her at the reunion, she was absolutely stop-and-stare gorgeous."
But he didn't tell her, even then. From his vantage point at 5 foot 7 inches, the 6-foot tall, occasional model, was way out of reach. "To be honest," he said, "I didn't think I'd have a chance."
As Marcia was pursuing her teaching career, Joe tackled bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering. He married and had two sons, worked in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Wisconsin and finally, Ohio. Then, his wife was diagnosed with cancer and a protracted illness put Joe in the position of caregiver for 14 years.
Helped outby the Internet
Shortly before his wife died, Joe discovered Classmates.com, a Web site devoted to renewing high school friendships. He e-mailed Marcia. Since Hubbard Middle School was organizing a Relay for Life, she suggested Joe come in support of his wife.
From there, they shared occasional computer exchanges. When Joe's wife succumbed to cancer, it was Marcia's turn to be a caregiver. "My mom was declining," she said.
On her birthday, in August, a year ago, Joe asked Marcia to sneak away from the hospital where her mother was. Then, he gave her an engagement ring. "I was semi-prepared to get that ring back," Joe said.
But, he didn't. "I was flabbergasted," Marcia said. "He took my breath away. I had no hesitation."
On Saturday, Joe and Marcia will walk down the aisle with a reception to follow in their new home. By then, Marcia swears, despite Joe's skepticism, all the boxes will be emptied, including the ones with her angel collection -- just in time to add one more.
murphy@vindy.com