Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Georgia Darlington Connects Love by the Lakeside: Alumni Love Stories Blog 2
Darlington School: Private Boarding School in Rome, GA
Some text some message..
 

Darlington Connects Love by the Lakeside: Alumni Love Stories Blog 2

Cassidy Carter | March 6, 2023 | 251 views

Elaine (Hackett, '71T, LD'18) and Wright Smith ('70) Thornwood Valentine's Day dance (February 11, 1967)

Did you listen to Episode 96 of The Darlington Podcast: Love by the Lakeside: Darlington Alumni Love Stories? In the episode, Chief Advancement Officer Julie Lucas ('97) chats with Karley ('16) and Seth ('16) Parker in celebration of Valentine's Day. The Parkers share their own love story that began in Mr. Hudson's freshman chemistry class, and then they read submissions from other Darlington alumni who are also married to Darlington alumni. It's a sweet celebration of love by the Lakeside!

Check out some of our alumni love story submissions below. Read part 1 and stay tuned for part 3 of this blog series! 

Elaine (Hackett, '71T, LD '18) and Wright Smith ('70)
Married date: June 14, 1975
Darlington story: "I had my eye and my heart set on Wright at the beginning of eighth grade at Thornwood. Wright was a freshman at Darlington and on the football team. How could a guy be so handsome, sweet, smart, and athletic?!!! I invited him to the Thornwood Valentine's Day dance (Feb. 11, 1967) held in our gym. The next weekend, he invited me to the Darlington dance. I guess you could say we clicked instantly because we never broke up. We dated all through college and graduate school and finally married on June 14, 1975."

Amy (Holmes '94) and Gaines Dempsey ('94, LD '22)
Darlington story: "We met in the eighth grade when I came to Darlington. Our funny Darlington story is that we actually 'dated' for a couple of months in the eighth grade and I broke up with him, telling him he was 'too nice.' We didn’t socialize together much in high school, but both went to the University of Georgia and ended up with a lot of mutual new friends. Because of that, we became great friends our freshman year. By sophomore year, I decided 'nice' was a really good thing. We started dating and that was that! We’ve been together for 27 years and have three daughters."
Advice: "My biggest piece of advice is very simple - marry your best friend." 

Jody (Milford '05) and David Huguenel ('03)
Darlington story: "We met in late 2001 during the after-school activity in Zelle Hall outside of the music room. We started dating Jan. 19, 2002. Jody and I went to Schroeders for our first date. The total cost of the meal for both of us was $11.11, which Jody remembers because 11 is her lucky number.
Advice: "The key to any great relationship is being able to make each other laugh." 

Mardi (Garner '65T) and Charles Reneau Andrews III ('63)
Darlington story:
"Mardi Garner went to Thornwood from 1959 (seventh grade) to 1965, and Charlie Andrews went to Darlington from 1959 to 1963. In May 1961, a group of Darlington boarding students, including Charlie, were invited to a party. He was not very confident and was uncomfortable around girls. The party was at Jane Harbin’s home. Jane was one of the Rome girls who went to Thornwood School. They were finishing the eighth grade. Some of the others in the class were Kay Boggs, Jessie Brinson, Edith Gilbert, Betty Hardin, Ethel Harrison, Donna Jacks, Mary Sib Mooney, Martha Nabors, Anne Rooney, Nancy Smith and Martha Stanton. Mardi told Charlie she was a boarding student like he was, and her teasing was enough for him to leave the party with her name and address. They wrote to each other that summer. That next fall, they went to a Darlington football game. Mardi was soon sure Charlie was THE one, but Charlie was the SLOW one. They corresponded and dated for nine years before marrying on March 21, 1970. The proposal was unusual. Mardi had graduated from Emory and was working at C&S Bank as a loan administrator. Charlie was in graduate school at GA Tech. He went to pick her up after work. He had purchased a box of Cracker Jacks. Carefully opening the bottom of the box, he had removed the envelope and replaced the prize with a diamond engagement ring. He meticulously resealed the small envelope and the waxed bottom of the Cracker Jack box. Once Mardi was in the car, he offered her the Cracker Jacks, and as he drove, they slowly ate the caramel popcorn and peanuts until Mardi got to the envelope with the prize. Charlie, like Brer Fox, lay low, trying to look innocent and nonchalant as Mardi opened her prize. All Mardi said as she broke the silence was, 'I think it’s real.' As Mardi and Charlie contemplate their 53 years of marriage and Charlie approaches his 60th Darlington reunion, Mardi and Charlie’s ties are still strong, and he is grateful for her patience over those nine years for him to make the 'til death do us part' commitment. Obviously, it was the right decision. At their wedding, they recited their vows from memory, instead of the more typical 'repeat after me' prompt from the pastor. The only problem was Charlie suddenly developed a violent nervous twitch in his right cheek as he began to recite his vows, but it seems to have taken. They now have four children and 15 grandchildren. Charlie notes that he has papers on all of them.

In 1962, Charlie wrote and sent Mardi a poem on a postcard: 
Dear, Dearer, Dearest,
Our friendship is increasing.
Long, longer, longest–
I hope the smiles will last.
Good, better, best–
The times with you are happy.
Much, more, most–
I now think about the past."