WS Chronicle

Mary and Jerry Grubbs – Finding Love at the Senior Games

One never knows when or where Cupid’s arrow will strike. For Mary and Jerry Grubbs, it was quite appropriately at a Valentine’s Day singles party in 2008 at Calvary Baptist Church. Both had been widowed for several years and quickly found that they enjoyed several mutual activities, such as participating in Senior Games.

After dating for just two months, they became engaged and were married on August 28, 2008. Being active in Senior Games, Mary introduced Jerry to Bocce and he won his first Gold Medal at the State Finals in 2009. They also play pickleball and cornhole.

Mary’s family had been involved in scroll sawing for several years, so she gave Jerry a scroll saw one year for Christmas and he immediately found another hobby. Along with his medals from Senior Games, he has also won ribbons from the Dixie Classic Fair.

The Grubbs stay busy with church activities, genealogy, and keeping up with family and friends around the country through Facebook.

But the main thing for the Grubbs is just being together. Whether it’s traveling by train, cruise ship, or car, they enjoy being together. Jerry says, “We trust one another, and care for one another, and love and respect each other’s opinions. In marriage, you have to keep working at it.” According to Jerry, “Marriage is togetherness.”
But Mary really sums it up: “It’s never too late to fall in love again.”

Mary Grubbs
Jerry and I met at a Valentine’s Day Singles’ Party at Calvary Baptist Church in 2008. He and I both had been widowed for several years. We began dating in March and got engaged in May and were married in August 2008.
I had already been active in NC Senior Games in several activities and he began playing Bocce with us also. He won his first Gold Medal in Bocce in his first trip to State Finals in 2009.

My family had been involved in scroll sawing for several years so I gave him a scroll saw for Christmas, 2009 and he immediately discovered another hobby. He has been very successful in creating many new projects, winning Gold Medals at the Senior Games and at the Dixie Classic Fair.

We both enjoy traveling very much. I thoroughly enjoy doing the research of places we’re going to visit and making our own itineraries.

I have two grown sons. Jay lives here in Winston-Salem. Todd and his wife, Cyndi, live in Florida. Jerry has a son and an adopted daughter, and six grandchildren.
We stay busy with church activities, traveling, keeping up with friends and family around the country on Facebook, and genealogy.

Jerry retired from R.J. Reynolds and I retired from Walt Disney World. I had grown up here in Winston-Salem, but had lived in Texas and Florida for many years where my late husband was an executive with a petroleum transportation firm. After my late husband passed, I was undecided about where to relocate. I finally decided to return to my hometown in 2005 and have reconnected with many of my school classmates and made many new friends through Senior Games. They say “you can’t go home again”, but this proves you can, and it’s also never too late to fall in love again.

Jerry Grubbs
I was born in old City Hospital on June 26, 1941. I can remember when the war was over, the planes coming over, and my mother was holding me. We were in the back yard. My mother was my hero. She brought me up to know right from wrong.
I retired from R.J. Reynolds in 2005 with 30 years of service. It was a great experience to share with so many wonderful people.

In 1977 I married and had a wonderful time with my wife, Eddie, for 27 years. I have one son and an adopted daughter and six grandchildren. After she passed away, I met the most pleasant and beautiful lady, Mary Grubbs, at the Valentine’s Party, 2008, at Calvary Baptist Church. We were married on August 28, 2008. She is the love of my life. We trust one another, and care for one another, and love and respect each other’s opinions. In marriage you have to keep working at it. Marriage is togetherness. We love to do things together like traveling by train, cruise ship, or driving. We have fun with whatever we do. Many of our activities in Senior Games are playing Pickleball, Bocce, and Cornhole. We try to make the bet of life and stay healthy.