High School Crushes Meet Again at 50th Reunion - Then, a Phone Call Leads to Them Getting Married

The first time Elaine Hall and Roland Passaro danced together they were teenagers. It was the 1950s and they jitterbugged to the song Kansas City.

Seventy years later, they took to the dance floor again. Same song, same dance. Only this time, as newlyweds.

Once each other's middle and high school crushes, they reconnected at their 50th high school reunion, and now, in a love story that spans decades, they've finally said, "I do."

He Was a Star Athlete. She Was Head of the Cheer Squad.

Hall and Passaro, both 88, grew up four blocks apart in Allentown, Pennsylvania. They attended middle school and high school together. They had classes together, played "Spin the Bottle" together, and danced with each other at the local YMCA.

"In today's parlance, you would say, she was hot. She was the smartest girl in class and knew the answer to every question," Passaro told the Washington Post.

"Roland was as handsome as could be, he was the star player and all the girls liked him. But he liked me, so that was nice."

Elaine Hall

They seemed perfect for each other, the quintessential high school couple — he was a star athlete with dreams of becoming a pro baseball player and she was the head cheerleader.

But despite their mutual crushes, they remained squarely in the friend zone. It appeared as though they just weren't meant to be. And, as life does, it eventually took them in different directions.

Passaro realized his dream of pitching in the minor leagues, went to college, got married, had three children, and ended up working for an airline in Miami. He lost his first wife, Suzanne, after a four-year battle with cancer, shortly after the couple suffered the devastating loss of their 37-year-old son, John.

After high school, Hall got a job at a local newspaper and worked her way up the ranks to director of advertising and business development, where she stayed until she retired at 66. She also married, raised three children, and divorced in her 40s.

50th High School Reunion

For 50 years, Passaro and Hall lived separate lives but then...FATE. When they received the invitation for their 50th high school reunion, they both decided to make the trip back to their hometown — Hall from Atlantic City and Passaro from Miami.

As soon as they saw each other, sparks flew.

"There was an attraction between us that night," Hall said. "When I went over to say goodbye, he leaned over and gave me a kiss."

They agreed to stay in touch. As soon as Passaro got home, he mailed her a letter. That led to a six-hour phone call.

Countless phone calls, emails, and two trips to Miami later, Hall and Passaro decided they didn't want to live apart any longer. Hall moved to Miami.

For 20 years, the couple lived together, devoted to their families, traveling, enjoying art shows, golfing, and reading to each other every night before falling asleep. They were there for each other, in the good times and the bad, including when Hall's 67-year-old son, Robert, passed away in 2021.

In October 2023, after being together for two decades, they finally decided it was high time they tied the knot.

"Let's do it," Passaro told Hall after she asked him why they hadn't married yet over a glass of wine.

A Wedding Seven Decades in the Making

In March 2024, Passaro and Hall said "I do."

Their wedding was a family affair, with Hall's two daughters, Elizabeth and Patricia, walking her down the aisle. James Passaro (Roland's son) officiated and his other son, Ron, was the best man. Two of their great-granddaughters were flower girls.

And in a beautiful full circle moment worthy of a Hollywood romance movie, the two danced to the first song they ever did together, all those years ago.

"This was a good climax to a great love story."

James Passaro via the Washington Post

As for their secret to happiness? The couple reveals that it's all about sharing values, interests, and history.

"The thing about getting older is that very few people remember you from when you were young," Hall said. "But I remember Rollie as the vibrant young fellow who could throw a ball as far as the eye could see."

Not one to be outdone, Passaro responded, "And I remember how beautiful and exciting she was when she was 15, and I can say that she's just as beautiful and exciting today." (We can see why she loves him.)

It may have taken seven decades to get here, but their love proves that it's never too late for second chances.

More from Goalcast:

• High School Sweethearts Break Up After Graduation – 63 Years Later, One Phone Call Leads to Their Marriage

• Woman Goes With High School Sweetheart on a Date – Finds Out He’d Been Working on a Secret for Months

• 15-Year-Old Feels a Spark With Her Sister’s Prom Date – 70 Years Later the Unthinkable Happens