Patty & Joe Giacalone
When asked how Patty and Joe Giacalone first met , Joe quickly says “ At a swingers convention in Las Vegas .
NO ! Really , Bank of America in San Jose .”
He was a customer , Patty an employee of the bank . “ I still am a customer ,” whips Joe . Joe first saw Patty in 1981 and thought her to be a “ hot tomatoe challenge .” His words of course . “ She always had flowers on her desk so I knew I couldn ’ t afford her . I was just a poor Sicilian kid .”
It took three years before they actually went out . Patty says , “ He was pretty slow .” Joe says , ” She wasn ’ t available , she was engaged at the time .” Joe was relentless , however , and always appeared at the bank after closing time so Patty had to keep a window open for him . Fellow employees helped keep Joe in touch with Patty ’ s coming and goings . “ Let me know when the coast is clear ,” he would tell Patty . The characteristics that attracted them to each other : for Joe , “ she was tall , blonde and a challenge .” For Patty , his humor and three years of “ is the coast clear .” They went to OJ ’ s ( Original Joe ’ s )
Anja & Pieter Kerstens
Anja & Pieter Kerstens are from the Netherlands . Valentine ’ s Day is a relatively new holiday for them . They usually spend the holiday going out to dinner with friends . “ We did it last year and it was a lot of fun . It ’ s not very romantic perhaps , but we enjoyed it .” says Anja .
They met on the dance floor . In the Neitherlands , ballroom dance lessons were very popular — much like we take lessons for volleyball or guitar lessons here in the US . Those who didn ’ t have a partner were to pick someone on the dance floor . Anja was getting discouraged , having tagged two gentleman that she found were attached — when you tag a couple , they are supposed to switch but some don ’ t . She was a little nervous when she tagged Pieter but he switched and they ’ ve been dancing together ever since .
Peiter liked how talkative Anja was . “ She was easy to talk to , and pretty .” Anja found Pieter to be very mellow , tall , slender and very
in San Jose and sat at the counter for their first date .
Joe proposed to Patty in the kitchen at her mother ’ s birthday party . “ Everyone was outside . The whole family was together . So I figured I could save time and money by doing it then .” chuckles Joe . They moved to Gilroy because they both wanted to move to the country ; they both were born and raised in San Jose . Now they are toying with the idea of moving because they feel Gilroy is getting a little too big and they long for a smaller , quainter environment . They are looking for property in Aptos .
Joe is going on a ‘ mans trip ’ over the Valentine ’ s Day holiday . “ Valentine ’ s isn ’ t a big holiday for us . We do more on our birthdays ” says Patty . Her most memorable gift from Joe was a Christmas stocking with a piece of coal wrapped on the top , then some jewelry cleaner , and a beautiful 1.5 carat diamond ring tucked in the bottom .
secure with himself . They didn ’ t really have a first date as they met weekly to dance . Initially they were just friends but after about six months her friends started telling her that he was in love with her . “ Everyone knew except me .” she says . After five years of dating , they got married — Pieter prososed over dinner . He didn ’ t get down on his knee or present a ring as that is not typical in Holland . They have been married for 25 years ago .
Anja and Peiter are world travelers and plan to take thier children , Maarten , Annemieke and Monique , with them to Europe , Spain and Italy this summer .
Valentine ’ s Day won ’ t be too much fun for Marv and Roxie Thomas , as Roxie ’ s is having surgery around the holiday and they will probably be laying low . They usually go out to dinner and / or Marv gets Roxie the traditional bouquet of flowers . Then he gives her a kiss and makes his rounds to the widows of Gilroy , delivering primroses . Last year , he delivered 38 primroses . He ’ s quick to say that he doesn ’ t always do the deliveries by himself , sometimes he gets help .
Marv & Roxie first met in 1957 . They were living in a co-ed boarding house in Berkeley . Marv recalls the first time he saw Roxie — “ she was wearing a yellow cotton dress and I thought this gal has everything I want .” It was the first time Roxie had lived away from home — she ’ s quick to clarify that the guys were on second floor and the gals on the third . Roxie recalls having too much fun to notice any one person as the group went most places together .
Roxie remembers that she usually ended up sitting next to Marv on outings . On the fourth of July 1957 ( Sunday ) Marv asked to take Roxie out — just the two of them . “ She had to chose between the whole group and just me ,” Marv recalls . So when he called on
Thursday , she said “ yes .“ Marv says he avoided her , awaiting her decision . ” I had to put my foot down , that ’ s what she wanted .”
The characteristic that attracted Roxie to Marv was his dependability . “ He was someone I could count on and had wonderful manners .” Marv said he was smitten and admired her because “ although she was attractive , she could get along with all the other women in the boarding house .”
They had quite a marathon first date , starting at Bimbo ’ s 354 Club in North Beach , San Francisco , veiwing the naked gals in the fish bowl , then to the light opera and ending the evening at the Marin Town Country Club for a dance . It was the “ Big Kiss ” in the hills above Berkeley that made the sparks fly . Marv sold his MG to purchase a wedding ring . They ’ ve been married for 60 years .
“ We ’ ve never discussed retiring or picking up and moving . We love this home . We live like kings in this country . We ’ ve gone on some wonderful trips and we want to do some local ones . We ’ ve had some fun times . When you boil it all down , our friendships and family are the most precious things that we have .”
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2008 GILROY TODAY 19