Lynne and Jim McGhee

 

UMHS, probably around 60 years ago...

Jimmy and I dated off and on in high school.  I was crazy about him - he didn't feel quite the same.  Oh well.  Those were the days when girls couldn't be the aggressors, so he never knew just how I felt.  After graduation, he went his way, I went mine.

Jimmy met a girl, got engaged, went in the Navy for two years, came home, and got married in 1968.  He had joined the Willow Grove Fire Company while still in high school, and continued his service to them for many years. He had various jobs, including a tour bus driver for Hagy and later formed his own lawn care service.  He wound up back at Upper Moreland School District, retiring in 2010 as the Transportation Manager for all the UM schools.  He and Valerie had two children, Scott and Heather, who presented them with four grandchildren - Ryan, Kaitie, Alyssa, and Melanie.  Valerie died suddenly in early 2013.

As for me, I flitted around, dancing in clubs with my shiny white go-go boots.  I put the boots away in 1970 when I married Dominic, a salesman/musician from Ambler.  We had two daughters, Susan and Donna.  We moved to Northern Kentucky in 1977, and a few years later moved again to the Atlanta area.  I went back to school and became a Registered Nurse in 1995.  I became a grandmother in 1990 to Shelby and again in 1996 to Ashlie.  My marriage wasn't the best, and we divorced in early 2014.

Jimmy and I met again at the 50th reunion in October 2013.  We both felt little sparks, but attributed them to remembering old feelings from high school.  

I flew up to Philly in January 2014 to scout out a location for the 51st reunion and spent much of the weekend with Jimmy.  Those sparks started again, and by the time the reunion came around in May, they were ignited into a full fledged fire. 

 

The fire continued to burn brightly and in March 2015, I moved up to Philly so we could be together full time.  We moved into our home in July of that year.  And finally, on July 22, 2018, we made it official.  Hello, Mr. and Mrs. McGhee!

Life hasn't been too easy.  Jimmy was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2009.  His condition progressed slowly until April 2019 when Mr. Parkinson threw a big punch and knocked the hell out of him.  And if that weren't enough, he contracted Covid in August 2020.  Although he fought as hard as he could and had the best possible medical and nursing care, this was just too hard for him.  He passed away on September 15, 2020. Jimmy had a well-deserved military funeral and was interred at Washington Crossing National Cemetery.

But the story of Mr. and Mrs. McGhee didn't end with Jimmy's death.  We vowed to each other to love forever - that was our "special" word.  I know my love for him will continue forever, and I am certain that his love for me continues even now.