Jake, who lived in Maple Shade, also had lost a spouse - Irene died in 1990. From a cup of coffee bloomed a relationship that led to marriage. Louise chose Rita, who was then 29, as her maid of honor.
Shortly before the July 1994 wedding, Rita stopped by Jake's to talk to him and her mom. In walked the best man, Jake's son Joe, then 42.
Rita was bowled over by his looks. She liked him even more after they chatted. "I was shaking the day of the wedding, when I had to pin on his boutonniere," she said.
Joe and Rita ran into each other when they visited their parents, but Rita was not certain whether Joe was interested.
He grew to be. "She was beautiful and attentive - and persistent," he said.
Rita saw firsthand how kind Joe was. "He took my mother out to breakfast, and to her doctors' appointments," she said.
In 1995, her employer rewarded her with a dinner out - anywhere she wished, with anyone she wished. She chose Le Bec-Fin and Joe.
"It was a lovely evening," she said. And then Joe took her hand when they crossed Walnut Street. And then he stopped to kiss her. "That's when I realized it was mutual," she said.
"We didn't have a spontaneous beginning," Joe said. "Our love grew over a long period of time.
Sometimes, they went on fun double-dates to dinner or to Flyers games with his dad and her mom.
After the year 2000, Louise and Jake began having health problems. Louise broke her ankle and had multiple surgeries. She also suffered diabetes complications. Jake was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's. "From then on, they were really dependent on us for all transportation," Joe said.
But through it all, Joe and Rita held their Saturday date nights sacred. They would go to dinner or sporting events alone, taking time to reconnect and recharge.
