Diane Rehm had plenty of things she wanted to do after retiring last year – write, travel, launch a new podcast. Getting married was definitely not on the list.
So guess what? She just got engaged.
“Honey, I’m 80 years old, for God’s sake!” says the former NPR star with a delighted smile. “I’m shocked.” But “very, very happy.”
Rehm will marry John Hagedorn, a 77-year-old retired Lutheran minister, on Oct. 14 at Washington National Cathedral. “He’s so caring, so attentive, so warm,” she says. “Not only just to me, but to all of our friends and neighbors.”
The two met 28 years ago at a wedding for the daughter of a mutual friend. Both were married to others at the time, so it was a pleasant exchange but all but forgotten until Rehm received a letter from Hagedorn last summer.
He reintroduced himself and praised her latest book, “On My Own,” a memoir about her life as a widow (Rehm’s husband of 54 years, John, died in 2014). Hagedorn, now a widower, wrote that the book had really moved him.
“If you’re ever in Florida, please let me know,” he said. “I’d love to see you and take you for a cup of coffee.”
As it turned out, Rehm was doing a book-reading in Orlando. She emailed him with an invitation to the event, and Hagedorn drove more than three hours, then stood in line for two hours to speak with her.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.