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Nancy Lookabill had read many years ago that women like her were more likely to be killed by a terrorist than to marry again. Then she reconnected with high school flame John Wayne Williams. He's 65, and she's 64. They live in Charlotte, where Nancy tells their story:
The prediction: When I was 22, my first husband left me for another woman. I became a single parent long before it was popular. My two boys and I had a wonderful time growing up together in Boone. Then in 1986, the famous Newsweek cover story let me know that 40-year-old women like myself were more likely to be killed by a terrorist than to be married again. I accepted that and continued blissfully along for many years.
The old friend: Around 1991, a friend told me that John Wayne Williams was divorced and living in Charlotte. I had dated John Wayne a few times when we were in high school. I asked my friend to tell him to call me and we could have coffee together when I went to Charlotte to visit my grown sons.
The years: John Wayne waited a year to call. Then he came to Boone to visit me, and it felt like we had always known each other. The years just melted away. I had always lived in Boone and had worked for the same company for 27 years. I was terrified about moving to Charlotte. He also loved his job and wouldn't have had quite as much fun in Boone.
The Harley: We got married in July 1993 and have lived in Charlotte ever since. John Wayne just retired from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and I just retired from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Some day you may see him riding his Harley on his way to Lake Norman to visit his granddaughter Katie. Kathy Haight
