Jay and Connie Young celebrated 69 years together

Jay and Connie Young were married on July 25, 1953. Jay was born in Hollywood, California, to a preacher and his wife, and Connie was born in South Dakota to a mother who lived on a farm and father who was a basketball coach. A preacher’s kid and a farmer’s daughter They met at the University of Redlands in 1951. Jay was a star basketball player and Connie was the head song girl and cheerleader. Jay says the success of their marriage can be accredited to Connie insisting they have a dance, a hug, a kiss and a laugh every day.

After they completed their college work and Jay spending two years in the army during the Korean conflict, they attended Long Beach State College to complete their degrees. They both majored in education. Jay was a teacher and varsity basketball coach for over 30 years and Connie was a first- and second-grade teacher in Long Beach and Seal Beach. During the summer months, they traveled the country in their three motor homes, taking their boys to all 48 states. They managed to travel to over 60 countries, their favorites being Africa, Machu Picchu, and especially the Scandinavian countries. Boating was really important to their family, and they spent many vacations at Lake Shasta, Bass Lake and the river. They both have played many years of bridge, and both have become life masters.

Jay and Connie have three children together and six grandchildren, and they are proud of all of them. They just returned from Utah where one of their grandchildren graduated from Utah State College.

To celebrate their anniversary, they will be going to Laguna Beach, where Jay asked Connie to go steady during Easter vacation week from college in 1951.

Jay and Connie Young