Mary Lee & Madhu

where it begins

Fifty Years, One Special Day

My mother and father’s love story began at West Virginia University, where two kind and loving souls found each other at just the right moment.

Mary Lee was studying medicine, while Madhu was pursuing his PhD in engineering. From two different paths came one beautiful journey — a life filled with love, family, adventure, and fifty unforgettable years together.

Part one

How they met

A circle of young people sitting around a campfire at dusk — a fire, and everyone around it

Morgantown, West Virginia

Around the fire

It was a snowy night in Morgantown while Mary and Madhu were attending WVU. At a college party, friends gathered around the warmth of a fire when Mary spotted Madhu across the way. Something about him caught her attention, and with a playful glance, she pointed to him and motioned for him to come over.

Madhu made one of the best decisions of his life — he walked over to her. That small moment beside the fire became the spark of a beautiful relationship and the beginning of a love story that would last a lifetime.

Madhu and Mary Lee standing beside a pale pink Buick outside a brick house — the pink Buick

West Virginia to Chicago

Hitting the road

Mary Lee and Madhu hit the road together for Chicago, ready to begin the next chapter of their lives. Mary built her career working at a hospital in the city, while Madhu pursued his career as an engineer.

It was in Chicago that they were married and built a life together — each following their own dreams while their love continued to grow stronger side by side.

December 26, 1974

The host & hostess

Mary Lee and Madhu loved having friends and family along for the journey. Their home and their lives were always filled with warmth, laughter, and the people they cared about most.

They cherished bringing everyone together, sharing good times, creating memories, and spreading the love and happiness they found in one another.

Part two

They got married

Mary Lee and Madhu holding hands at the altar between two tall stands of white flowers — the vows, 1976

August 21, 1976 · Chicago

One another’s side forever

On August 21, 1976, Mary Lee and Madhu tied the knot in Chicago, surrounded by close friends and family who came together to celebrate their love. It was more than just their wedding day — it was the beginning of a lifetime they would build together.

From that day forward, they faced every new chapter side by side, sharing adventures, building a family, supporting one another’s dreams, and creating countless memories along the way. Through all of life’s changes, one thing remained constant: their love for each other and the promise to never leave each other’s side.

Mary Lee signing the marriage register with a pen while Madhu leans in to watch — signing it, making it real

Making it official

I do

With a few signatures, Mary Lee and Madhu made it official. Whether it was a marriage document or simply a piece of paper, the words mattered far less than the promise behind them.

Their true commitment had already been written in their hearts — to love one another, stand beside each other, and share a lifetime together.

Mary Lee and Madhu kissing over the wedding cake, pink candles on either side — over the cake

The reception

The kiss

And then came the kiss — the moment that sealed their promise to one another. Surrounded by the people they loved, Mary Lee and Madhu shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

It was a simple moment filled with love, happiness, and the beginning of forever together.

Part three

And then, a family

Mary Lee holding a baby beside Madhu in a judge’s chambers on adoption day — the day it was official

The courthouse

Made official

Mary Lee and Madhu had always dreamed of having children and building a family together. When that dream finally came true, they were given what they felt was one of life’s greatest gifts from God.

Their love had created something even more beautiful — a family of their own and the beginning of an entirely new chapter in their journey together.

Home

More chairs

Then came their little princess — a priceless gem who brought pure happiness and even more love into their lives.

With her arrival, Mary Lee and Madhu finally had the family they had always dreamed of, filling their home with joy, laughter, and a love greater than they could have ever imagined.

Written on a photograph

Mary Lee & Madhu dance?

Somewhere out there, Mary Lee and Madhu are sharing their wedding dance once again, holding each other close and remembering the beautiful life they created together.

A lifetime of love, family, laughter, and unforgettable memories — all beginning with two people who found each other and never let go.