This Valentine’s Day we are honored to celebrate two Arosa couples whose love reminds us that partnership isn’t just one single moment, rather decades of loving each other through the highs and lows.
At Arosa, we have the honor of walking alongside couples as they age and supporting the relationship that has carried them through life. Because love doesn’t stop needing caring.
Carol & John Larimore
East Bay | Care Manager: Annie Budash
Carol and John began with a simple introduction from a friend that quickly turned into a lasting love. Over the years their love has been intentional and steadfast, built not just on affection but also on trust, perseverance and a commitment to caring for one another through every season of life.
Q&A with Carol & John:
How did you two first meet?
“Carol and I first met on a Sunday in June 1997 during the fellowship time after service at the church in San Francisco. We both were introduced by a mutual friend, Bobbye, who thought we’d enjoy getting to know each other. Bobbye insists to this day that she had no vision that she was initiating what became a romantic relationship.”
What have you learned about love over the years
“Carol and I have learned over the years that real love has so many aspects, physical attraction to be sure, enjoying each other’s company, learning from and about each other, that the fundamental building blocks of love include honesty, mutual trust, integrity, mutual respect, shared spiritual values and beliefs, and, above all, unshakable commitment to each other and perseverance with the relationship though life’s joys and challenges.”
What’s one piece of relationship advice you’d give younger couples?
“Carol’s and my advice to younger couples is to keep the joy and romance alive. In fact, as the years pass, don’t lose the wonder, the joy, and excitement of youth! We believe that if you have this mindset and actually put it into practice, your mutual enjoyment of each other will continue to grow. True love is like a garden. To enable it to grow and flourish, it needs to be tended daily. Pay attention to your partner’s love language and nurture your partner through it. Finally, when the two of you disagree (and disagreements will happen), listen to and hear each other without rancor or prejudgment until you are resolved.”
How do you like to celebrate your love these days?
“Carol and I enjoy celebrating our love by sharing treasured memories, planning special dinners out, and going to our favorite vacation spots, a boutique hotel in San Francisco that we both enjoy so much, and most of all, being together in Maui, where we spent our honeymoon.”
How has having extra support at home helped you care for each other?
“Arosa has been a Godsend for us! The support they have provided has relieved us of handling and managing aspects of our day-to-day life that were becoming increasingly stressful, and frankly, adversely impacting our emotional and physical well-being. Arosa has removed so much of the worry and anxiety that we had been experiencing! We are so happy and can just focus on loving and enjoying our life together without the fear of being unable to fulfill each other’s daily needs.”
A Reflection from Their Care Manager
Annie Budash, their East Bay Care Manager, sees their love lived out every day:
“Carol & John are deeply in love. So often you see senior couples with decades of partnership who are complacent in their marriage or act simply as roommates. The Larimores actively engage in their shared love through meaningful kisses, consistent words of affirmation, daily prayer time and much more. I can’t count how many times they have expressed to me one-on-one how much they still adore each other. Their love is evergreen and everlasting.”
Her words echo what anyone around them quickly sees: a love that hasn’t faded with time, but deepened.
Steve & Noel
Arosa Greensboro | Care Manager(RN, BSN): Aleta Shelton
This past November, Steve and Noel marked 50 “big ones” celebrating their five decades of marriage. Their story is filled with adventure, independence, and the kind of ease that only comes from decades together.
Q&A with Steve & Noel
How long have you been married?
“We celebrated 50 years this past November — fifty big ones.”
What’s a favorite memory you share together?
“It’s hard to choose just one,” they say. “All of our trips have been special.”
One memory that stands out is taking the southern route on a cross-country drive out West. Along the way, they visited the Grand Canyon and eventually made their way to Santa Cruz, where they reunited with Noel’s brother Bill. “We met up with him and decided to stay for a while,” Noel recalls. “It’s such a beautiful area.”
During that season of life, Noel was selling Birkenstock shoes, and Steve was working with an architect.
“It was a good time,” they reflect. “A good life.”
What advice would you give younger couples about staying together?
“Adapt as you go,” Steve says. “And give each other space,” Noel adds. “Let your partner be who they are.”
They acknowledge that in the early years, it can be challenging when two people have strong opinions and different perspectives. But they see that as something positive.
“That’s a good thing,” they explain. “You learn from each other.”
Over time, they’ve found that the differences that once felt big become part of the bond.
“You grow closer year by year.”
How will you celebrate Valentine’s Day?
“Maybe take a nap,” Steve jokes.
After so many years together, they’ve come to see things simply:
“Everything’s a celebration. It’ll be okay, whatever we end up doing.”
After 50 years together, Noel and Steve have learned that lasting love isn’t about grand gestures, rather it’s about adapting, giving each other space, and choosing each other everyday. Their story reminds us that even the ordinary moments, like a shared memory or laugh, can be something worth celebrating.
A Reflection from Their Care Manager
Aleta Shelton, their Care Manager in Greensboro, shares:
“I am so fortunate to support and to be a part of this couple’s journey through life. The love they share is pure and unconditional. The two of them make the most of every moment. They lead every day with grace and understanding — a love that truly defies all odds. I wish them a Happy Valentine’s Day and thank them for the example of love they share with me and everyone around them.”
To witness a love story like theirs, and to help protect the space for it to continue, is at the heart of what we do.
A Note From Arosa…
At Arosa we believe that aging shouldn’t mean giving up the life, or love, you’ve built. Our mission is to help older adults live independently, safely, and fully in the homes they cherish with the people they love most. Whether it’s providing daily support or helping coordinate a busy care schedule, our goal is to remove the stress from everyday life so that couples and families can focus on spending quality time together.
This Valentine’s Day, and everyday, we are honored to walk alongside seniors and their families supporting quality of life, longevity, and connection.
