THE POWER OF LOVE

They weren't looking for romance in their 70s, but it may have helped prolong their lives

- MARIA IQBAL

John "Jack" Kerr and Colleen Zettel met on a blind date set up by a friend. Four years later, they were married in a small ceremony at her condo.

Colleen Zettel stood in front of her fireplace facing the minister, a little astonished at how she got to this point.

Zettel and her groom, John “Jack” Kerr, had both previously had happy and long marriages. When death did them part from their first spouses, they kept up with friends and spent time with family. They were content.

Neither was looking for love.

“It was just the furthest thing from my mind,” said Zettel, 96.

But 17 years ago, after Kerr’s fateful move to her city, an awkward first date, and a spooky coincidence, there was Zettel, then 79, standing alongside her 82-year-old beau, ready to take another leap into love.

What they didn’t know was that decision may also have prolonged their lives.

Research suggests love in older age can boost health by combating loneliness. Science shows loneliness leads to a higher risk for falls, dementia, cardiovascular disease, and shorter lifespans.

Zettel and 99-year-old Kerr are participating in the Canadian branch of a North American study into “super agers,” people 80 and up who score like people in their 50s and 60s on a memory test and average or better on other measures of cognition.

As part of the study, researchers at Western University are exploring what they hypothesize could be one of the secrets to aging well: the impact of healthy marital relationships on older adults’ well-being.

An awkward first date

When Zettel’s husband of 46 years died after a brief illness in 1999, she felt suddenly alone in her large London, Ont., home. Her adult daughters lived in other cities. Over time, though, Zettel filled her days playing golf with friends and travelling. After a few years, she downsized to a condo.