Mary and Mike Cox —" We ’ re so entwined . We ’ re just going to keep growing together .” him ) a big hug .” They set their wedding date for the following year , April 1972 . They already had chosen the venue — the Rothko Chapel .
stories from the heart : continued
When asked what advice they ’ d offer other couples , Larry said don ’ t be afraid to argue . “ Because sometimes you have to get stuff out ,” Larry said . “ It ’ s OK to fight .”
“ But you have to fight fair ,” J . Chris said . “ On the other hand , sometimes you have to walk away and take a break .”
“ One or the other would always call and say , ‘ Are you OK ?’” Larry said .
Mary and Mike Cox —" We ’ re so entwined . We ’ re just going to keep growing together .” him ) a big hug .” They set their wedding date for the following year , April 1972 . They already had chosen the venue — the Rothko Chapel .
“ It was a very special place to us . It was a place where we could sit on the benches and contemplate ,” Mary , 73 , said .
The following spring , in between Mary ’ s physics and chemistry classes , they went to City Hall to get their marriage license . They thought there was a three-day waiting period to get married , but they were told that no longer existed . They found a judge and got married . When they returned to school , Mary went to her physics class .
“ I ’ m sitting in class and grinning from ear to ear . No one knows why I ’ m grinning . And I ’ m thinking , I just got married ,” Mary said .
In May , Mike graduated and the couple drove to California . Their first apartment was near San Jose State University , where Mary finished her Bachelor of Science degree . The couple moved twice before settling in Morgan Hill in 1997 . They have two children , ages 40 and 42 .
Mike said they ’ ve worked well together on many interesting projects , one of which is their company , Anaerobe Systems in Morgan Hill . Mike started the company in 1978 in their Cupertino garage . The company ’ s latest project converts agricultural waste into an organic fertilizer and renewable hydrogen for fuel .
“ We ’ re excited about this . It has so many benefits . It ’ s environmentally friendly and good for the planet ,” Mike , 78 , said .
Mary and Mike Cox were students at the University of
Houston when Mike ’ s roommates loaned Mary a few couches to accommodate visiting family members . When Mary returned them , she invited Mike to go swimming . Thus , began a courtship that would lead to their 51-year marriage .
On their third date , they took his Spitfire convertible to the Rothko Chapel . “ That night as he was saying goodbye he said , ‘ If this relationship is going anywhere , I wanted to let you know I ’ m moving to California after I graduate .’
And I thought , ‘ So , what are you telling me for ?’ I thought it was cheeky ,” Mary said . About a year after their first meeting , Mike gave Mary a bicycle for her birthday . “ He said , ‘ Read the instructions ’,” Mary said . She told him she knew how to ride a bike , but Mike insisted .
The couple enjoys travel , good food and wine , and visiting with their two grandchildren . “ Our communication at home is making dinner and sitting on the back porch … And it ’ s just that one hour a day , we don ’ t skip it ,” Mary said .
“ And we try to do something on Sunday ,” Mike said . “ I get in trouble if we don ’ t .”
They also share a love of Morgan Hill . For years , they ’ ve hosted backyard fundraisers for local non-profit groups , including the library , symphony , and various political candidates . For their 50th wedding anniversary in 2022 , they invited 50 friends to their backyard Texan barbecue .
“ It was like the wedding reception we never had ,” Mary said . When asked what advice they ’ d offer other couples , Mary said to have patience when irritations arise .
“ You have to be persistent about your needs and understanding of the other person ’ s needs ,” Mary said .
“ And I read it and he said , ‘ Dear Mary , I hope you like this bicycle and I hope you have a great birthday and will you marry me ?’” Mary said . “ It was a shock . I said , ‘ Oh yeah ’ and ( gave
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“ I think it ’ s very beneficial if you have something in your activities that are a common goal that you ’ re working on together ,” Mike said .
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