World Marriage Day dance planned for Bucksport

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Reservations are still available for couples wishing to attend the 17th annual World Marriage Day Valentine’s Dinner-Dance beginning at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Bucksport.

The $25 admission fee includes dinner by candlelight, wedding cake for each couple, and dancing to music provided by Todd and Julie Ogden of Milford, the disc jockeys known as “T.L.O.”

The nondenominational event was begun — and is still being organized by — Eddie and Gloria Thibodeau of Orland.

“In 1982, 43 governors, including our own, proclaimed the second Sunday in February as World Marriage Day,” Gloria Thibodeau explained.

Once (former) Gov. Joseph Brennan had made that proclamation for Maine, the Thibodeaus took matters into their own hands, and arranged a celebration for all married and engaged couples living in the Greater Bucksport area, to be held on World Marriage Day.

That celebration continues and, this year, will honor a very special couple. Next summer, Dick and Betty Perry of Bucksport will celebrate 62 years of wedded bliss which, Dick Perry will attest to, has been just that.

“We’ve never had an argument,” he declared.

The Perrys, who are both Bucksport natives, were married Aug. 7, 1937, “at the old Catholic church in Bucksport,” he said.

And, with the exception of one year after their wedding, they have lived in Bucksport.

“I had a Cushman Bakery run,” Dick Perry said, bringing back a long-lost business name to those of us who are also Maine natives.

Later, he worked 32 years at “the old Seaboard Paper Company” in Bucksport, which is now Champion International.

The Perrys have two married daughters, Victoria DuLong and Juliet Files, who are also Bucksport residents, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

In addition to the Perrys, Thibodeau said the candlelight dinner-dance “will also honor and recognize all those celebrating their 25th and 50th anniversaries, and several couples who are celebrating more than 50 years together.”

Thibodeau explained that “World Marriage Day is an organized effort to recognize the value of marriage, not only in our faith, but all faiths. We do invite all married and engaged couples to come.”

But in order to attend the event, you must make your reservations by Friday, “because we need to let the caterer know how many to expect,” Thibodeau said.

Reservations can be made by calling the Thibodeaus at 469-2439, or their daughter and husband, Chrisy and James Parsons of Orland, at 469-6518.

Bunny Barclay, who is co-chairing the Bangor Board of Realtors annual Valentine’s Dance from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday at the Bangor Civic Center, called to remind readers that tickets for this benefit will be available at the door.

“Lots of people buy tables for the benefit,” she said of the fund-raiser for the Bangor chapter of Habitat for Humanity, “and ticket sales are going well. But we do know that some people decide, at the last minute, to attend, so we want them to know they are welcome.”

Tickets are $15 each or $150 for a table.

The sponsors hope this fund-raiser, which Barclay chairs with Jan Currier and Gary and Kathy Zeil, will surpass the more than $10,000 it raised last year for Habitat for Humanity.

Music will be provided by the Eastern Standard Trio and, Barclay reports, many people “who are into swing dancing and have been calling to ask about the new floor at the Civic Center” plan to attend.

“So, even if you don’t do that type of dancing, it certainly should be fun to watch,” she added.

To his disappointment, no member of the Bangor High School Class of 1967 came forward to coordinate a 30th reunion for those alumni last year, so this year, Gary Cole of Bangor has taken matters into his own hands.

“I volunteered to start from scratch and put together an `over the hill’ party for Aug. 7, 1999,” he wrote. “We are all reaching the five-zero age level. Time flies by.”

His task is not going to be easy, he writes, because, out of a class of 338, Cole has been unable to locate 104 of his classmates.

For starters, we suggest any member of this class, or any relative or friend of a member, contact Cole to see if you, or the one you know, is among the missing.

If you can help, you can write Cole at 510 Perry Road, Bangor 04401, or call him at 262-9910.

We had further word this week from Paula Baines of Hampden, who is heading the “Stuffed with Love” campaign for the Bangor Alumnae Chapter of Delta Delta Delta, which we wrote about Tuesday.

The chapter is asking for donations of stuffed animals to give to young cancer patients who are receiving treatment at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

“We’re gotten several calls already,” Baines said Wednesday.

“And I did speak with someone in the pediatrics department at EMMC who told me that, for outpatient and children’s cancer patients, we have to specify that the stuffed animal be new, and still have the tag on it.”

Baines explained that infection control is absolutely necessary for children undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.

“Their immune systems really go through a workout in terms of that,” she said, “so the hospital cannot accept toys if they are not sure of what infections they may have been exposed to.”

Baines said the chapter is accepting new stuffed toys through Wednesday, Feb. 17, and she especially wants to thank “those who aleady called me, for their generous donations.”

If you have questions about this program, call Baines at 947-0087.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.