‘Meant to be’: This couple met three years ago in a Burlington retirement home. Now, in their 90s, they’re getting married

In 2018, a widow of some 10 years was touring a Burlington retirement home when her eyes locked with a slim, well-dressed man sitting across the room.

It was love at first sight.

Weeks later, they went on their first date - a modest meal, arranged through a mutual friend, buoyed by jittery butterflies and playful banter.

Things progressed quickly.

The pair moved into a two-bedroom suite overlooking Lake Ontario at the Pearl and Pine Retirement Residence in 2019.

It's been a dream ever since. They share breakfast together and read the newspaper hand in hand every morning. They take hour-long walks, play bingo, watch films. And, on the weekends, they indulge in date night: a hearty meal, replete with champagne and dessert, followed by a dance under the backdrop of old music.

Now, Fred Voytek, 94, and Zilla Myers, 91, are ready to take the next step.

The couple will get married Aug. 22 in a small ceremony at The Carriage House Restaurant - a development neither can hardly believe.

Getting married at our age, imagine that," said Voytek over a phone call Thursday, his new fiancee giggling next to him.

The nonagenarians' unlikely romance is steeped in a kind of organic happenchance.

They first encountered each other while living in different condos, on different floors, right across the street from Pearl and Pine more than a decade ago.

Voytek was then living with his wife, Herta, who died in 2015 once they had already moved to the retirement residence. Myers had been widowed for years.

Unknowingly, the pair would park their cars near each other in a garage that sat between their respective buildings. Voytek would pass by Myers, always sure to lend a smile and a sheepish hello.

Years later they met at Pearl and Pine. The rest is history.

From seeing each other in the garage to now, getting married, it's hard to believe," said Voytek.

It's a humbling feeling," added Myers.

But getting engaged didn't happen without its share of hiccups.

A couple of months ago, while sitting in their suite, Voytek looked at Myers and said he wanted to marry her.

She was reluctant.

You know, at our age, I have to change my driver's licence, my OHIP, all these things ... Why bother?" she told him.

Eventually, I said, OK, we'll continue living as we are. We love each other,'" said Voytek.

Then, last week, Myers broached the idea with her two daughters while out for lunch.

I had turned him down, but I just wondered what the girls would even think," said Myers. To my surprise, both of them said, That would be wonderful! What a great idea!'"

Myers hurried home. She opened the suite door, a bottle of champagne in hand, and approached a seated Voytek. With a twinkle in her eye, she got down on one knee.

Fred, would you marry me?" she asked.

Voytek, a little stunned, held Myers in his arms.

I recovered from my shock and said, Of course I will. I love you,'" said Voytek. It was a very moving experience."

Within days, the couple had a reception arranged, a marriage certificate signed and paid for at city hall and a dress for the bride.

And he bought me a gorgeous engagement ring," said Myers. It all happened so quickly. It was amazing."

We can't believe it," said Voytek.

Believe, in the case of this couple, is a funny word. They never believed they would meet, nor that they would get married in their 90s. But sometimes belief presents itself in unsuspecting ways.

Take, for instance, the boat Myers used to own at Fifty Point Marina, now passed down to her daughter. When Voytek saw it years ago, he was struck by the corny name etched on its side: the word Meant," followed by the number two and a photo of a bumblebee.

Meant to be," said Voytek. You know, I'm not superstitious at all. But what happened here, the odds of it happening ... I believe it was meant to be, just like the boat says."

Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com