It's a love story -- times 10. Meet some of Pittsburgh's finest couples, each with their own unique tale of romance, love and partnership. But these stories come with something special: Each was selected by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Western Pennsylvania Chapter, as one of the city's finest couples for both their career successes and philanthropic efforts. Together, these couples raised more than $102,000 to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis, an inherited disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States, 70,000 worldwide. Their efforts culminated in the ultimate date night -- an evening of dinner, drinks and dancing in a fabulous home high atop Mt. Washington.
Enjoy their stories of love and romance.
Alex & Susan Bicket
Alex is an attorney, partner at Zimmer Kunz; Susan is an attorney for Mosites Development and active in her church, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Sewickley Academy.
How did you propose marriage? Alex proposed when his brother came into town to visit in the summer of 1990. It was a very sudden thing for him, unexpected for me, and for my father, who was carving steak at the time with a large knife. It all worked out though!
What is your fondest or funniest memory together? When Alex and I traveled to South Africa together, Alex took us to a beach where he used to spend a lot of time. The tide came in and we were stranded and separated from our car. I attempted (to no avail) to piggyback on him to dry land as he was walking in shoes and socks and I was wearing sandals. We laughed so hard we collapsed in the sandall the time being watched by an older native gentleman who had warned us from the beginning that would never make it across the tide pool.
Ronald & Dr. Bridget Chufo
Bridget is president of Healthy Performance; Ronald is its CEO. The couple are active with the DePaul School for Hearing & Speech, Children's Hospital Hearing Center, American Liver Foundation, LaRoche College, Civic Light Opera, St. Anthony Program for Exceptional Children, Women Presidents Organization and St. Lucy's Auxiliary.
What did you do for your first date? 10 straight days of visiting in L.A. ... dinner and talking all night; a Dodgers game, Disneyland, friends' picnic, a Bruce Springsteen concert, and four days in Palm Desert, California.
What is your fondest or funniest memory together? Celebrating our fourth anniversary at Spago in Los Angeles and riding in a convertible with the top down, singing and laughing loudly down the freeway But our fondest memories would be finding out together that we would be the parents of our two children – both were unique surprises with their own stories to “older” parents.
Dr. Derrick & Tiffany Fluhme
Derrick is an orthopedic surgeon, South Hills Orthopedic Surgical Associates, and a volunteer team physician for Washington & Jefferson College, Canon McMillan High School and Saturday Morning Injury Clinic; Tiffany is CEO of Fluhme Beauty, physician's assistant and active with the Fluhme Foundation.
Describe your perfect date: Making homemade pizza, watching a movie and eating an entire ice cream cake in bed!
What is the secret to your successful partnership? Our indescribable love for one another. Sharing the same passions and seeing the world through similar eyes. We are best friends.
Thomas & Mary Harvey
Thomas is a CPA/Director of Human Resources for Schneider Downs, a youth football and basketball coach and active with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Juvenile Diabetes and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; Mary is an actor and church volunteer.
Where did you meet? In a bar in Boston. Mary was drinking Jack Daniel's; Tom was drinking Shirley Temples. Mary went up to Tom and said, "I'm madly in love with you. What are you going to do about it?" He went back to her apartment and never left.
What do you love most about your spouse? Tom: "Her sense of style, capacity to love and ability to communicate with the children." Mary: "He's good breeding material."
Michael & Buffy Hasco
Michael is vice president of global accounts for HJ Heinz, a board member of the Ronald McDonald House of Greater Pittsburgh and basketball coach for his community recreational league; Buffy is a volunteer with Gwen's Girls, a community organizer and school volunteer.
Where did you meet? The Sky Brothers Lenten Food Show in Altoona, Pa. Who knew the scent of fried fish could be such an aphrodisiac?
How did you propose marriage? Michael had been transferred to San Francisco and I was living in Pittsburgh. After he was there for six months, he flew east, surprised me and took me to Nemacolin, where he proposed after a long walk. It was a beautiful spot, and a lovely moment.
Kirk Johnson & Henry Krakovsky
Kirk is a Merrill Lynch Vice President; Henry is owner of HK Design. The couple are active with Family House, the National Council for Jewish Women, Marjie's Fund and various theaters.
How did you meet? We've been friends for 20-plus years. Sometimes you realize that "the one" was there the entire time -- and we did -- 10 1/2 years ago.
What is the secret to your successful partnership? At the end of the year, no one gets a trophy for the most arguments won. Sometimes not engaging is the best solution in the moment.
Dr. Joe & Anne Pilewski
Joe is an associate professor of medicine, medical director of the Lung Transplantation Program at UPMC and co-director of the Adult CF program at Children's Hospital; Anne volunteers at her children's school and church and shares Joe's passion for helping patients with Cystic Fibrosis.
Describe your favorite date night? As a couple we enjoy the rare evenings out for dinner, the symphony or a Pitt basketball game. As a family, we most cherish hosting large family holiday or special occasion parties, and spending time with friends.
What is the secret to your successful partnership? Making personal sacrifices, maintaining a perspective about priorities in life and being committed and passionate about each of our
Tim Mackin & Val Porter
Tim is project manager at DM Products. Val is music director and on-air talent on DVE Morning Show, WDVE. Both are active with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Alex's Lemonade Stand, Special Olympics, United Cerebral Palsy, Animal Friends, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Washington Area Humane Society and Bethel Park Rotary.
What do you love most about your spouse? Val: "I love Tim's easygoing nature, his sense of humor and the way he loves me even on days I might not be very lovable." Tim: "I am very comfortable around Val, she really understands who I am and supports me 100 percent in everything I do. Plus, she's a great cook!"
What is your fondest or funniest memory? Our wedding day. It was on a farm. It was a beautiful day, we had games and people camped out. The ceremony was perfect. It was my favorite day.
Kirk & Cory Vogel
Kirk is president of Walnut Grove Holdings; Cory is a human resources representative for Wendy's International. Both are active with Muscular Dystrophy and Cystic Fibrosis foundations and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
What is the secret to your successful partnership? "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" — we make the most of the time we have together.
What do you most love about your spouse? Cory: "His drive and ambition to succeed." Kirk: "Her uncanny ability to make those around her smile."
John & Judy Woffington
John is a retired English teacher and Judy is a retired French teacher. The couple volunteers with numerous theater companies, the Cultural Trust, Phipps Conservatory and the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force.
What did you do for your first date? John designed an invitation to a dinner and a show in the form of a handwritten classified want ad and put it in Judy's school mailbox. Judy replied to the want ad in French. It has been a whirlwind romance ever since.
What is the secret to your successful partnership? Maya Angelou once said, "If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded." We truly care for each other, laugh together, and support one another. We refer to ourselves as the dynamic duo since we usually do everything together, but we also understand the needs of our separate interests. We never forget to say "Thank you" and always keep the romance alive.
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Couples for the Cure
