LONGEVITY MARRIED 60 YEARS: WILLIAM AND HELEN CALKINS.

Byline: Simone Schramm Tramm

William and Helen Calkins of Tarzana celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a cruise on the Princess Sapphire to the Mexican Riviera. Following that, they celebrated with their family at a dinner party. They were married on April 26, 1946, in Louisville, Ky.

They met at a dance in Fort Knox, Ky., in 1945. Bill was a member of the U.S. Army Band there. They lived in Chicago and Skokie, Ill., before moving to California in 1959.

Bill studied music at Chicago's VanderCook College of Music and Northwestern University, where he graduated in 1948. He played woodwind instruments and worked in TV and radio in Chicago. After their move to L.A., he recorded music for film and television and taught music part time at California State University, Northridge, retiring in 2000.

Before marriage, Helen worked as a secretary for the U.S. Air Force in Louisville. After the couple married, she became a homemaker and got involved with their children in activities such as the Brownies, Girl Scouts, Little League and others. When the children were older, she started work as an administrative assistant with Rocketdyne and Boeing, retiring from Boeing in 1998 after 15 years. Now she volunteers and participates in many church activities.

They love to travel and have visited Hawaii, Canada, Alaska and the Mediterranean.

They have three children: Linda Dusckett of Mission Viejo, Gloria Silvestri of Montclair and William H. Calkins Jr. of Valley Village. They also have two grandchildren and one great grandchild.

MARRIED 55 YEARS: DON AND SHIRLEY WARD

Don and Shirley Ward of Sunland celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary with a cruise to Alaska. They were married on May 27, 1951, in Los Angeles.

They met at a church social and dated through their high school years.

Shirley graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1949. She worked for Bank of America until 1958, when she and Don started a family and she became a stay-at-home mom.

When the children were older, Shirley began work as a general manager for a cassette duplication company. In 1986, one of their sons opened Sunland Printing and Copy Center and she worked there as his office manager and typesetter. She still helps out there without pay.

Don graduated from Hamilton High School in Los Angeles in 1948. He served in the Marine Corps. Upon discharge, he worked for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and retired there after 33 years of service.

He has also served on the board of directors for Verdugo Hills Public Access Television and now works part time for Valley Commercial Printers.

He is also a member of the California Antique Phonograph Society, the Southern California Antique Radio Society, and also restores vintage 50- to 100-year-old recordings to digital CD for individuals, radio and television.

They also enjoy square and contra dancing and have taught dance for 60 years.

They have three children: Kenneth and Robert Ward, both of Sunland, and Donna Epp of Overland Park, Kan. They also have seven grandchildren.

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Photo:

(1) no caption (Helen and William Calkins)

(2) no caption (Don and Shirley Ward)