This month, Jerry and Theresa Keehner are celebrating a remarkable milestone - 50 years of marriage! Half a century ago, they promised to share a lifetime together, never imagining the joys which passage of time and life’s journeys together have brought them, and countless new memories yet to make as they enjoy family and friends!

Both Ohio natives, it was in Akron, Jerry’s hometown and to where Theresa had recently moved from Dayton, that their paths first crossed. On Thanksgiving in 1974, while home on college break, Jerry was out with friends looking for something to do. As luck would have it, a random search for a newspaper with movie listings found him knocking on the door of an apartment Theresa shared with her sister. When she opened the door, sparks flew. Knowing he had found the one, Jerry transferred from Miami University to the University of Akron to finish college with Theresa and work on their budding relationship. An engagement was announced in 1975, and a bicentennial-year wedding soon followed. 

Over the next 30 years in Akron, Jerry and Theresa started their careers, raised two daughters, and experienced the wonders of traveling extensively. Jerry grew up in Europe having lived in Bonn, West Germany for seven years, and traveled globally throughout his career. The couple still makes travel requiring a passport high on their “to do” list. Visits to England, Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Canada, Mexico and multiple islands in the Caribbean have reinforced their love for cultural diversity. Annual family travel to Hilton Head continues to this day, as do special trips to destinations throughout the USA. In 2007, a job change brought Jerry and Theresa to their home in Dublin, and a new stage in life as empty-nesters. Daughters Monica and Katie are each married and with families of their own. Oldest daughter Monica and her husband Mark Biro live nearby in Dublin with their son Ben, the Keehners’ first grandson. Younger daughter, Katie, and her husband Brian Reed live in Arlington, Virginia, with their children Remy and Campbell. Though farther away, the Reeds love visiting Dublin, and Jerry and Theresa are just as happy to make the trip to Virginia to spend time with them. Regardless of the time of year, holiday season, or location, family get-togethers are a high priority! 

Jerry and Theresa are now both happily retired. Jerry spent 46 years in the defense industry, holding positions at Lockheed Martin, Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, and as a full-time consultant to the Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Theresa spent many joyful years as an elementary school teacher and tutor, including 14 years as a reading interventionist for Columbus City Schools.

Quality time with family and friends is a core value for the Keehners, as is staying active and giving back to the community.  Each contributes in their own way - Jerry serves as President of the Moors Homeowners Association and is a SCORE small business volunteer consultant. Theresa and Jerry enjoy their annual volunteering for the Memorial Golf Tournament and opportunities to give of their time to a variety of other organizations. Katie continues the family tradition of coaching youth sports, leading Campbell’s T-ball team in Virginia just as Jerry coached and umpired girls’ softball for years in Akron; and Monica uses her floral design skills inherited from Theresa to create wreaths for veterans’ graves at Arlington Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

It’s been 18 years since Jerry and Theresa moved to Muirfield Village in 2007, and their joy with and gratitude for everything the community offers continues. Some of their favorite activities include exploring the local food scene, enjoying the views of the TCCMV golf course from their lovely deck, hosting parties, rooting on the Buckeyes, and biking and walking the neighborhood trails. They are avid pickleball players and can be found regularly on the courts in Dublin and at a number of local clubs. They love making “five-minute friends” wherever they go, taking the time to talk to everyone they meet and truly treating their community like family.