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Area volunteer couples to be honored in Columbus
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By Jon Moffett
Ohio’s first lady will honor three area couples.
YOUNGSTOWN — Love has passed the test of time, at least for 62 Ohioans.
Frances Strickland, wife of Gov. Ted Strickland, will honor 31 Ohio couples at a special ceremony Friday.
“These couples share a deep commitment to each other and to their communities,” she said. “I am pleased to recognize them for giving so generously of their time through volunteerism and serving as role models for younger generations.”
The 10th annual Joined Hearts in Giving ceremony is sponsored by the first lady and the Ohio Department of Aging and will be at the Governor’s Residence and Heritage Garden in Columbus. It is designed to honor couples who have shown dedication to their marriage and volunteer work.
Qualifications for the recognition include being married for at least 40 years with at least one spouse age 60 or older, both spouses must be involved in volunteer efforts and permanent residents of Ohio.
Among the 31 couples are Van and Diane Bates of Youngstown; and Cliff and Lillie Johnson and Robert and Violet Stevens, all of Warren. The couples will travel to Columbus on Thursday.
“Older Ohioans give 350,000 hours of their time each year, and they’re providing service in their communities in so many ways,” said Karla Warren, deputy director of communications with the Ohio Department of Aging. “They’re selfless people [who] think about others instead of themselves. In many instances they’ve given more to others than to themselves ... They demonstrate how the power of a few makes a positive impact on many.”
Cliff Johnson, 73, said it’s an honor that he and his wife Lillie, 70, are being acknowledged.
“We were very pleased; that was certainly not something we ever thought about,” he said.
He added that though the recognition is nice, the real reward is being able to help others at all.
“The mere fact that we have been able to do what we have done is far more important than the award itself.”
Violet Stevens, 63, and her husband Robert, 72, were also delighted to find out they would meet Ohio’s first lady.
“We were excited,” she said. “It’s quite a privilege to get to go to the governor’s home.”
Van Bates, 72, and his wife Diane, 64, look forward to the event.
“This came as a surprise,” Van said. “I consider it an honor and look forward to meeting the governor’s wife.”
The Bateses, who live on Vestal Road in Youngstown, have been married for 43 years and have donated more than 500 hours at Hospice of the Valley.
Van said he and his wife enjoy volunteering and getting to know patients at Hospice of the Valley, though making personal connections with the patients is often bittersweet.
Diane said working with the elderly is gratifying and a way of giving back.
Van agreed, saying, “That’s the generation that took care of us.”
The couple also volunteers at the Youngstown YMCA, where Van has stood in for Santa at Christmas parties, and recently helped out with the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department’s Senior Service Office.
The Johnsons live on Crescent Drive in Warren and have been married for 46 years. They are involved in their church and other volunteer efforts. Both Lillie and Cliff are members of multiple boards and serve multiple organizations such as the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross. Cliff is a retired high school principal who travels across the state doing diversity and educational workshops.
The Stevenses, Johnson Park Road, Warren, have been married for 43 years. The couple is involved with senior centers, and they deliver meals to the residents. Violet said she and her husband bring the residents bags of candy and a card on their birthday, and Robert plays his guitar for them.
“It’s a good feeling to know that we’ve done something to lift the spirits of the elderly,” Violet said. “We enjoy it.”
Barbara Riley, director of the Ohio Department of Aging, said the couples exemplify service to each other and the community.
“Without the valuable contributions of time and energy that these couples volunteer, many programs in the state, such as meals on wheels and volunteer long-term care ombudsmen, could not function,” Riley said.
Besides sharing their passion with others, the couples are still very much in love with each other.
When asked about the secret of staying together so long, Cliff said, “It’s several things. No. 1, they understand more than just academically what commitment means. Secondly, they allow each other to be individuals; I’m not defined by my wife and she isn’t defined by me. But we have grown together and we have always agreed on the things that are important to us.
“Understanding what commitment really means is the difference between our time and what you find today.”
Cliff added that it didn’t hurt that Lillie was “pretty cute.”
jmoffett@vindy.com