KENNEBUNK — She was in high school, about to graduate. He was a little older. They met on a blind date, and Andy Mandeville took Betty Gordon to her Old Orchard Beach High School prom.

They married at St. Margaret’s Church on Feb. 12, 1972.

On Sunday, 50 years later, with family and friends looking on, Andy slipped another ring on Betty’s finger, and they clasped hands, renewing the commitment they made to each other all those years ago.

They were and are celebrating love, long-lasting love; love for a lifetime and beyond.

The ring, said Andy later, is a symbol of the couple, their birthstones in a heart-shaped setting. Engraved inside are the words “together always.”

These days the couple spends time together at Kennebunk Center for Health and Rehabilitation — Andy drives from their home in Saco daily to spend treasured time with Betty. She has been ill for some time, and said she decided to enter hospice care — a decision supported by her family.

They reminisced about their relationship in a recent interview.

The prom date turned into a three-month courtship — and then it ended.

“I felt I was really too young,” Betty said, pointing out she was just 18 at the time “So, we split up.”

Each went their separate way. Then came a phone call from Andy to Betty, asking her advice about switching to a different shift for his job at Saco Defense. That phone call led to Andy and Betty renewing their courtship.

“We got back together and said “this is it,” Betty recalled. They dated for seven months, and then set their wedding date for Feb. 12.

They smiled as they recalled the leadup to the ceremony. Guests thought Andy did not show up, because they could not initially see him — and the organist never did appear. But Andy was indeed there, Betty walked down the aisle to meet him, and the two were married.

Over the years, Andy, now 74, continued his career with Saco Defense, as the company was known at the time. Betty, now 71, worked for a life insurance company.

Andy’s chair is pulled close to the bed as they chat. He wears a cap that has the words “Thank God for Betty” on the brim.

As they talked, Betty’s nurse asked their advice on love.

“Mutual respect,” said Betty.

“Giving each other alone time,” said Andy.

Betty said couples now dating and contemplating an early commitment might consider a leaf from their book.

“You can wait, and it will still work if it is meant to be,” she said, “Don’t rush.”

Andy agreed. “Thy will be done,” he said, quoting a Bible verse.

“I’d do it all over again,” said Betty.

On Sunday, their daughter Hillary, her spouse, Stephanie and their granddaughter, Kaitlyn, other family members and close friends gathered in a reception room at the nursing care center, for a celebration, one that the couple wanted to be casual and comfortable, and it was.

Andy slipped the ring on Betty’s finger, and the couple held hands.

Chaplains Doug Cotta and Rachel Reef-Simpson of Constellation Hospice conducted a brief ceremony.

Reef-Simpson sang “Color My World.”

“Seeing you here is a testament to the love you have shared all of these years,” Cotta told the couple. “You have reached a milestone, a half century of love and devotion.”

“You are role models for everyone who believes in true love,” said Reef-Simpson. “May your love continue to be a glowing beacon for the rest of us.”

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