PASCO COUNTY, Fla — What's the secret to a love that lasts the test of time? For Marsha and Jay B. Starkey Jr., it's finding someone you can have fun with.
The two have been married for 60 years. If you live in Pasco County, their last name may ring a bell. Jay B. Starkey's father owned 16,000 acres of southwest Pasco County. More than half of that land is now the Jay B. Starkey Wildnerness Preserve. And it's in that area that Marsha and Jay B. spent most of their marriage.
"He's awesome. He's a really kind, good man," Marsha gushed when asked what she loved about her husband. "We really like each other. I think we like each other a lot."
The pair have four children and nearly a dozen grandkids. They live at the Watermark at Trinity assisted living facility. It's just down the road from the Starkey Ranch.
When Jay B. was asked why he loved his wife, it was without hesitation he began to brag about her character.
"You're a good woman and good person and everybody loves you and we're proud of that," he said.
"You just enjoy each other," Marsha said. She leaned over to her husband and asked him, "why are you still married to me?"
Jay B. smiled, gave a laugh, and answered, "why not?"
When asked to describe their relationship, Marsha said it was sheer joy.
"We have a lot of fun," she said. "We're old. But we really like each other. I think we like each other a lot."
The couple spent their Valentine's day at a dinner party at their nursing home.