Deacon James Walsh performs the renewal ceremony for Joseph and Cecile Girard at Emerald Bay Manor in Cumberland Thursday as son-in-law Paul Daigneault looks on.  Times photo/Butch Adams

By JON BAKER

CUMBERLAND  ---  Lloyd Cook, 84 years young, admitted he didn’t sleep very well Wednesday night.
“At about midnight, I was in bed, still staring at the ceiling,” he said. “I was nervous. After all, it had been a long time since I got married.”

His wife of 60 years, Doris, stated she awoke Thursday morning both refreshed and excited.
“I really wanted to do this,” the 86-year-old bride said of her upcoming nuptials. “When I told Lloyd about the idea, he just said, ‘Do I have to?’”
Those were just some of the humorous and touching emotions expressed on Valentine’s Day afternoon, when the Cooks and three other senior couples renewed their vows at Emerald Bay Manor. For the Cooks, it was more than special, as they married for the first time on Feb. 14, 1948.
Over 70 residents, family members and friends —- most dressed in traditional “holiday” red — flocked to the adorned Great Room to witness the nuptials, performed by Deacon James Walsh of nearby St. Aidan’s Catholic Church. Among the couples: Louis (93) and Gloria (83) Hanna; Joseph (86) and Cecile (84) Girard; and Jean (93) and Marie (92) Madden.
The event was the brainchild of activities director Diane Brown, who approached the couples about six weeks ago and asked if they wanted to celebrate Valentine’s Day in style.
It took her and two assistants about a month to assemble all the major and minor details.
“We did the same thing here about five or six years ago, and it turned out fabulous,” gushed Brown, who has been at her position for eight-plus years now.
“I really wanted to do it again. We have eight couples currently living here, and our terrific couples honored here were very excited about the idea.
“I had noticed that these couples were very close and did everything together, and none had ever had a renewal of vows,” she added. “When I told them about it, they were really enthused. They were really into it, and that surprised me a bit.
“The way this went, it was beyond my wildest dreams. I was a nervous wreck. I felt like it was my daughter getting married.”
Following the tossing of flower peTals by eight-year-old Alliyah Fernandes, daughter of Manor secretary Charlie Fernandes, the quartet of couples walked slowly from the back of the room to the front, taking seats to each side of Deacon Walsh as violinist Hagop Anmahian played..
As the Cooks, both New York natives, took their vows, the audience laughed when Walsh stated, “You can look at each other.” Some wiped tears from their eyes as the two kissed. Walsh then spoke a bit about each tandem’s time together, and how they shared their first kiss on their initial date. Lloyd loved being a HAM radio operator in his spare time years before, and now enjoys watching TV and sports.
When asked what Doris’ hobbies were, she mentioned “housework,” drawing more chuckles, and then said. “No, it’s really shopping and spending money.”
Their two adult sons attended, Harry flying in Tuesday from his Alaska home and Bill driving down from Wrentham.
“When Bill called me and said, ‘It would be nice if you could be here,’ I jumped at the chance,” Harry noted. “I wasn’t going to miss this.”
Then came the Hannas, who married on June 3, 1944 but were engaged on Valentine’s Day of the same year. Louis had been in the military, but received a special leave to marry his love, and the duo honeymooned in New York City. Walsh said the doctor and nurse had met in a hospital, and had their first kiss during night rounds.
They have two children, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild, and still enjoy playing cards, dancing and conversing with each other.
Next were the Girards, who spent most of their lives in Cumberland. When Cecile stumbled a bit at the makeshift altar, Joe caught her, causing Walsh to say, “You see, you’re still falling for each other.” (More tears here.)
The pair tied the knot on May 11, 1946, after having grown up together in the same apartment house.
Joe later became a machinist, Cecile a homemaker. They have three children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and plan on more cozy talks and listening to music in the future.
Finally, the Maddens, Pawtucketers for most of their collective life, proclaimed their eternal love for each other, and —- at Walsh’s direction — Marie leaned over and kissed Jean, who sat in his wheelchair.
Walsh then spoke of their history together; how they married on June 27, 1936, and how Jean worked as a vice president for Peerless Co. in Pawtucket. They raised two kids, who gave them three grandchildren and a half-dozen great-grandchildren.
“Imagine that: They’ve been married for nearly three quarters of a century,” Walsh said on his own 64th birthday. “They met at a church dance, dated for three years and then, after three or four months, got married. They still like to sit in front of a fireplace and spending time together talking.”
When the ceremony ended, all moved into a larger room near the main lobby and watched the happy couples, one by one, slice a specially-made wedding cake. As tradition would have it, they fed a small piece to one another, drawing more applause.
When asked her most memorable experience in her near 62-year partnership with Joe, Cecile offered, “We had two beautiful children, and he’s always given me everything I wanted. I never get any backtalk from him. He’s been very good to me.”
She smiled, then added with a look to her beloved, “I had a lump in my throat through the whole ceremony. I thought this would be a nice thing to do. He may say he was nervous, but I wasn’t. After all, he’s mine.”