Gisborne couple celebrate 60 years of marriage that blossomed from rugby party romance

Gisborne couple Ray and Judy Taylor are celebrating 60 years of marriage today. Photo / Leonie Sheehan

Over 60 years after meeting at an after-rugby party, Gisborne couple Ray and Judy Taylor are celebrating their diamond anniversary.

But had it not been for a teammate, their first encounter at an Ormond Rd gathering in 1964 that ultimately led to their wedding on May 14, 1966, would never have happened.

“The first time we met, I was playing rugby for High School Old Boys, and as usual we had our Saturday night party, but I’d been concussed that day and I wasn’t going to go to the party,” Ray said.

A teammate encouraged him to go along.

“She [Judy] arrived with one of my teammates, and the romance took off from there,” he said.

Judy found Ray a bit quiet, not realising he had been concussed.

“I just thought, ‘there’s a good-looking fella’, so it started from there.”

They were engaged around 15 months later and were married at the Holy Trinity Church in Gisborne.

Their first child, Phillip, was born in 1968 and daughter Susie came along in 1970.

Gisborne couple Ray and Judy Taylor's wedding photos from 60 years ago. Photo / Leonie Sheehan

The Taylors now have five grandkids and three great-grandkids.

Ray recalls buying an engagement ring and following the custom of asking the mother and father for their daughter’s hand.

“We got up there and after about three hours, Judy’s mother said to me: ‘Have you got something you want to tell me, Ray?’

“I said: ‘Oh yeah, yes, I have actually, I wanna marry your daughter’.”

Ray does not actually remember officially asking Judy herself.

“It just sort of happened – ‘let’s get married’ sort of style.”

Ray, now 84, and Judy, 80, have had long and productive careers, Judy as a teacher and Ray as a wool classer.

Judy taught for 45 years, starting at Kaiti School.

“I’ve had lots of teaching experience all around, I think they called me ‘two-year Taylor’ for a while,” said Judy, referring to the number of schools she worked at, including Tolaga Bay, Gisborne Intermediate, Mangapapa, Te Hapara, Central and the Northern Health School for kids with health needs.

Ray’s career was just as busy.

“I started work in 1960 with Gisborne Sheepfarmers, which was a great firm to work for,” he said.

Ray moved to Tolaga Bay to class wool there and three years later became the manager of Gisborne Sheepfarmers.

“About 1977, I came back to Gisborne and we had the big supermarkets here in those days.

“We were the second [Sheepfarmers] supermarket in New Zealand to ever open. It’s where Liquorland is now on Gladstone Rd.”

After it closed down, he spent the last 20 years of his career with Work and Income in charge of all its subsidised work programmes.

Over their working and now retirement years, they have shared hobbies such as bowls, along with a long list of their own interests such as duck hunting, pigeon racing, floral art, yoga, rugby, gardening and even the Chinese practice of Qigong.

Ray was involved with pigeon racing, then got into showing budgies, winning a few best bird in show titles around the country.

“I’ve only got one bird now,” he said, referring with a laugh to Judy.

While both believe in love at first sight, their secrets to a long-lasting and happy marriage are a little more practical ... don’t squabble over money, give and take, and support each other.

“I could always rely on Jude. I used to like my pub days in those days, especially when I was in Tolaga, and you’d still come home on speaking terms,” Ray said. “We haven’t really had any arguments.”

“He’s kind, very kind. [but] frustrating at times because everything has to be done the day before yesterday,” Judy said. “We’ve got on because we’ve been so involved with other things and interested in what each other was doing.”

Ray and Judy are celebrating their diamond anniversary tomorrow at the Vines restaurant with family and friends, including some from their 1964 wedding party.