J . Chris and Larry Mickartz — “ We just kept running into each other .” divorced and a couple years after J . Chris ’ first husband , Jim , died in 1995 . Their paths crossed at the Gilroy Garlic Festival . J . Chris , 74 , was on the original planning committee and had worked or volunteered at every Festival . Meanwhile , Larry , 78 , attended the first Festival and had volunteered since 1981 .
“ I ’ d agree . It helps to have different skill sets ,” Lisa said .
The couple shares a mutual love of stand-up comedy , music , going to concerts , and traveling .
“ We ’ ve been blessed to go to so many cool places ,” Jayson said . And as they get older , they enjoy spending more time at home . “ We get as much joy sitting together in these two chairs with the kids around than we do anything else ,” Jayson said , adding that they are diligent about honoring their nightly routine with their children , which includes sharing what they ’ re grateful for , positive affirmations , and saying their prayers .
When asked what advice they ’ d give to other couples , they say patience , taking care of one ’ s individual needs , and willingness to compromise are important .
“ It ’ s just being kind , too ,” Jayson said . “ Putting a little bit of space between stimulus and response . We can be quick to judge . Just take a breath and take time to respond .”
“ And a spirit of forgiveness ,” Lisa added . “ Everyone is going to make mistakes . No one is perfect . Practice forgiveness and grace and give people the benefit of the doubt .”
J . Chris and Larry Mickartz — “ We just kept running into each other .” divorced and a couple years after J . Chris ’ first husband , Jim , died in 1995 . Their paths crossed at the Gilroy Garlic Festival . J . Chris , 74 , was on the original planning committee and had worked or volunteered at every Festival . Meanwhile , Larry , 78 , attended the first Festival and had volunteered since 1981 .
Then J . Chris bumped into Larry at a local restaurant she and her friends frequented . She invited him to watch the lunar eclipse at her house with a group of friends . She found out later that during that night , every time she left the room , her friends grilled Larry .
“ I was surprised you didn ’ t run far away ,” J . Chris chuckled . “ I think I gave you a little peck that night .”
“ It was kind of a condolence ,” Larry said , smiling .
One weekend , after her daughters returned to college , J . Chris said she called Larry and asked if he ’ d like to go for a walk .
“ We talked and we talked and that was the beginning ,” J . Chris said .
Their first date was at the FishWife in Pacific Grove after a drive on 17-mile drive . J . Chris said she loves the ocean and their custom wedding bands have a wave design . They continue to regularly visit the Monterey coastline to sit at Lover ’ s Point or have lunch in Carmel or Monterey . They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in 2022 with a group of 25 friends at Maurizio ’ s sister restaurant , Osteria Al Mare in Monterey .
Their marriage has endured a home renovation and being copublishers of a magazine . Larry did most of the landscaping and all the interior painting of their 100-plus-year-old Victorian home . They also owned gmhTODAY magazine from 2006 to 2020 . J . Chris said they figured out how to divide up tasks , allowing them to carve out individual time .
They recently co-authored “ The Gilroy Garlic Festival Playbook : For the Love of Garlic and Community ,” a tribute to the festival founders , community leaders , and volunteers . The couple says it was a labor of love .
“ It was fun to put together . A lot of memories to look back on ,” Larry said . “ I went to the first one . She worked for the first one .”
These days , Larry is working on a book about Gilroy and J . Chris is working on a novel . They enjoy traveling , spending time with their six grandchildren , and taking care of their Labradoodle puppy . They say communication and making time to spend time together are key to a healthy relationship .
Larry and J . Chris Mickartz lived parallel lives in Gilroy for years before they became romantically linked . Married to different people , they didn ’ t connect until after Larry was
“ With the ups and downs , between kids , the house , work , and finances , you just keep at it . Remember the fundamentals . We love each other ,” Larry said .
“ It ’ s just knowing that someone has your back ,” J . Chris added . “ I always know that if I can ’ t pick up the kids or do something that I ’ ve committed to , I tell Lar .” ( Continued ...)
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