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Meet Gen and Ralph Heller, whose love story is one for the ages
CBC
For 67 years, Gen and Ralph Heller of London, Ont., lived their lives together and to the fullest — entertaining friends, running a business and travelling the world.
And when their health began to decline, and interventions would not have improved their quality of life, the couple decided to leave this world, together, on their own terms. On September 20, just two months shy of their 68th wedding anniversary, the lovebirds held hands and died together.
Ralph was 91 and Gen was 92.
"They lived for their family and their friends, and they were the two kindest, most generous people. It was a love story," daughter Lori Heller told CBC London.
Gen was famous for her cooking, both Polish and Canadian dishes, her delicious recipes collated in a book by her kids. Ralph coached hockey and baseball, and got two memorable holes-in-one at the Forest City Golf Club. They raised four kids, and had seven grandkids and two great-grandkids.
Ralph and Gen were set up on a blind date by friends and their love flourished, said Greg Heller.
"I think they met and they were very much attracted to each other and became very much in love with each other," he said.
Ralph used to walk from St. Catharines, where he lived, to the Kitchener area, where Gen lived, to go on dates, their children said.
Gen Heller attended flight attendant school in the early 1950s, and worked at Western University's faculty of pharmacology and was known for her cooking and pickling. She was the daughter of Polish immigrants.
Ralph Heller was active in sports, playing hockey, football and baseball and eventually coaching, as well as taking part in Boy Scouts activities with his son.
"They loved to have family and friends over and mom would cook up this amazing meal and dad was always in charge of getting everything ready. He would vacuum the house and dust and get the pool ready and the gardens would look spectacular," said Lori Heller.
"He had this gorgeous rose garden he cared for, they had a vegetable garden, so we always had the most amazing meals."
The Hellers opened a small gift shop in the early 1970s and named it the Flamboyant Boutique. In 1974 they relocated to Oxbury Mall and renamed the business The China Cabinet, adding lines of fine china to their inventory. A few years later, a second location was opened on Richmond Street.