Additional Coverage:
- A couple married for 54 years shares what keeps their marriage happy — including not having kids or pets (businessinsider.com)
Local Couple Shares Secrets to 54 Years of Marital Bliss: No Kids, No Pets, Just Pure Gratitude!
Westhampton, NY – Forget diamond anniversaries; Joy and Dan Flynn are celebrating over half a century of wedded bliss, marking their 54th anniversary on November 20th. This dynamic duo from our very own community has a rather unconventional recipe for a lasting marriage: keep it simple, skip the kids, pass on the pets, and sprinkle every day with a generous dose of gratitude.
“Every day we’re grateful for what we have,” Dan, 79, shared recently. And it seems to be working! The couple, who were captured training for upcoming World Championships in South Korea, exemplify an active, supportive partnership.
Now, before you jump to conclusions about their “no kids” policy, Joy, 78, acknowledges the immense joy children bring. However, she candidly admits, “But kids, they cause tension sometimes and cause fights between couples.”
As for four-legged friends? Joy playfully quips about her “pet spiders” in the basement, but that’s as wild as their animal kingdom gets.
“We have kept our lives extremely simple,” Joy affirmed.
Their love story began in the Hamptons back in 1968. Dan, a New York newcomer, was instantly smitten.
Joy, already entangled, found a cosmic connection when she discovered Dan shared her birthday. “I figured anybody who has my birthday can’t be all bad,” she joked, “And so it was true.
He is not all bad.” And the rest, as they say, is history – they’ve been practically inseparable ever since.
Over the years, the Flynns have tackled life hand-in-hand, from tennis courts and ski slopes to golf courses and national track and field championships. Their unwavering gratitude for each other is the glue that binds them.
“We never ever take it for granted,” Joy emphasized. “We thank each other for everything.
So if I’m doing the dishes, Dan thanks me. If he’s doing the dishes, I thank him.”
Without the demands of children or pets, Joy says they’ve been able to focus on living each day to the fullest. Dan continues his career as a commercial real estate broker, while their “free time” is anything but idle. They fill their days with rigorous training, travel, entertaining, dinner parties, and extensive community work.
Most mornings kick off with an early workout, followed by track practice involving CrossFit, sprints, and jumps. Joy, initially hesitant, credits Dan and their trainer for getting her into track and field, where she’s become a natural.
She estimates a staggering 120 medals in just eight years, including multiple golds in long jump, high jump, triple jump, 100-meter dash, and the 4 x 100m relay. Dan isn’t far behind, with about 60 medals and gold wins in long jump and triple jump.
Beyond their athletic achievements, Joy dedicates her time to her church, the Garden Club of America, and the Westhampton Garden Club, even reading to inmates at the local correctional facility. She’s been a force in local environmental initiatives, helping establish April as Native Plant Month in New York and advocating for restrictions on certain pesticides. Dan contributes as well, serving on the Suffolk County Planning Commission and joining Joy on political campaigns in Washington D.C.
And while they may not have had biological children, the Flynns have been invaluable mentors for 17 years to three children through a Catholic charity supporting Latino families on Long Island. From tutoring to swimming lessons and attending school meetings, they’ve been there every step of the way.
Their ultimate philosophy is simple: stay busy, stay engaged. “The more you are exposed to the world, the better your odds are, the better things are going to be for you,” Dan advised.
Joy added, “When you have too much time on your hands, that’s when you start focusing on your aches and pains. Just get out and do things.”
It seems the Flynns have truly mastered the art of living well, and their joyful, grateful approach is an inspiration to us all.