“I knew straight away he was the one.”
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When Betty D’Amore was set up on a blind date in 1961, she met the man who personified love at first sight.
“A friend invited me to the Ardmona Football Club ball, but they didn’t have a car,” she said.
“They suggested that if they ask their friend Louie to drive, would I go as his partner. And I did.
“I got in the car that night, and I knew I was going to marry this guy.”
For Lou D’Amour, that night launched a romance that took him by surprise, steering him away from his one true love at the time — boys and their toys.
“I wasn’t used to it. I used to knock around with the boys,” he said.
“We had sports cars and motorbikes, women didn’t rate then.
“Women, they’d only get in the road.”
Little did he know fate was paving the road to a lifetime of riches.
The couple wed at St Brendan’s Catholic Church in Shepparton on April 18, 1964.
Shortly after, their household bustled with the addition of their first son, Michael.
It became packed to the rafters when they welcomed Anthony and Anne-Marie into the world.
“We raised a family together, and we’re so proud of all of them,” Betty said.
“They’ve all done different but wonderful things, they’re living good lives, and they look after each other.
“We know that when we’re not around, they’ll still be looking out for each other.”
Challenges that arose during their marriage were never seen as such, and the pair share little differences, except for the remote control.
“We’re really fortunate … we’re on the same page,” Lou said.
“The only thing I don’t like is some of her shows on television. I just can’t hack it.”
“I’ve got a whacky sense of humour, and he doesn’t get it,” Betty said with a chuckle.
Squabbles for the remote control are out of their hands when the couple babysits their 19-month-old grandson or when their other two grandchildren (now in their 20s) visit.
“(Having grandchildren) gave us a whole new lease on life,” Betty said.
Just as Lou and Betty unconditionally support their family, their giving nature extends to the community.
Lou is a life member of the local CFA and the Shepparton East Fire Brigade, and Betty is a Red Cross Emergency Service volunteer.
Both are members of the Kiwanis Club of Shepparton.
“(Kiwanis) has Australia-wide and international projects,” Betty said.
“So, we’ve done amazing things worldwide ... life-changing things for villages and countries.”
As district governor of the group, Lou was privy to flying around the world, and Betty would come, too.
The couple has travelled extensively throughout Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the United States for conventions.
“It’s hard to believe we fitted so much into it,” Lou said.
At a convention in the US, Lou and Betty recessed through a room dotted with celebrities.
But the spotlight was all theirs.
“We were presented on stage to 16,000 people in this great American auditorium,” Betty said.
“This is little Betty from Mooroopna and little Louie from Toolamba, and we’ve been able to do that.”
During the dinner portion of the evening, they were stirred to be seated next to Bond. James Bond.
Roger Moore, a UNICEF ambassador, was at their table along with other VIPs.
“They were all millionaires for god’s sake, and I’m a truck driver,” Lou said.
“But the thing is, we were appreciated.”
When asked what the secret to a successful marriage is, Lou passed down his words of wisdom, which another husband had passed down to him.
Years ago, Lou was transporting a load of concrete to Katunga.
His customer was getting ready to host his 50th wedding anniversary celebration.
“I thought 50 years, oh my god, that’s a long time,” Lou said.
“I asked him, ‘What’s the secret?’ and he said, ‘It’s easy, have you been in a tug of war? Well, what my wife and I did is we both got on the same end of the rope, and we pulled, and it was no problem.’
“Then he said, ‘Dear, is the tea and scones ready?’ and I thought, bring out the scones!”
This weekend, there’ll be no shortage of tea and scones.
The D’Amores will celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary with a high tea at their Shepparton East home, surrounded by family and friends.
“We’re lucky,” Betty said.
“Very, very lucky.”
Journalist