A New York couple married for 82 years has yet another event to celebrate this weekend when husband Duranord Veillard turns 108. Meanwhile, wife Jeanne Veillard is a spring chicken at just 104. Together, they are believed to have one of the longest marriages and are certainly among the oldest married couples.
The couple hails from Haiti and, as Jeanne told The Journal News, they met when she “found him in the street.” They married in 1932 and raised five children before moving to the United States when Duranord lost his job as a judge in the late 1960s.
These days, Duranord has trouble hearing, is nearly blind and can’t walk without assistance — but he still starts each day with seven pushups and sounds smart as a whip.
“He remembers everything,” said his son, Vely Veillard, 62. “Look at him! He don’t want to use a cane. He’s a superstar.”
Even though the centenarians continue to eat well, nap often and enjoy time with family, Duranord said there’s just one secret for his longevity: “That’s God.”
Duranord and Jeanne are among the top-three longest living married couples in the United States, according to this list. Currently, the longest living married couple in the world is Karam and Kartari Chand, who are 109 and 102, respectively. The British couple celebrated their 89th anniversary last December and are currently No. 2 on the all-time list of longest marriages. They are behind American couple Daniel Frederick and Susan Bakeman, who were reportedly married for 91 years before dying in the 1800s.
