Anita Hirsch and Marv Sicherman A Fun-Loving Hometown Love Story nita Hirsch has been a Beachwood resident for more than 50 years. She and her late husband, Jerry, raised their children, Laurel (Muzik – BHS class of '76), Amy (Finkenthal – BHS class of '79) and Jeff (BHS class of '85) here, in Beachwood. She is a 20-year realtor who now works for Gordon Dental Care. Marv Sicherman, also a 50-plus-year Beachwood resident, shares a similar story. He and his late wife, Sue, who passed away in January, 2007, also raised their children, Heidi (Fleischer – class of '78, whose stage name is Heidi Joyce) and Steven (class of '83) in Beachwood. As a bankruptcy attorney and adjunct law professor, he was once known as a “Kinsman Cowboy.” Nonetheless, in our small, close-knit community, although Anita and Marv's paths had crossed, they never really knew each other – until meeting on J-date and reminiscing about their pasts. Finding themselves alone after their spouses lost their battles to cancer, both Anita and Marv signed up on J-date to find companionship – and maybe more. Marv, who signed up first, had been casually dating, but rarely met anyone with whom he wanted to go out more than once or twice. When Anita decided it was time to come out of her shell and start living again, she, too, signed up. “When we were young, Sue told me that if she died first, she wanted me to get remarried,” Marv said. “Statistically, I didn't think that would happen.” “After learning that she had cancer, I never heard her say that again,” he added somberly. “Jerry also told me that if anything happened to him, I should go out right away and go on with my life,” Anita shared. “Dick Eston, Jerry's best friend, was the last person he talked to. And Dick checked on me every A day until he passed away. I think Jerry asked Dick to call me every day and take care of me, but I really don't know.” Both Anita and Marv took their deceased spouses' advice. They talked a few times and agreed to meet on a Sunday morning, just after New Year's Day, at Bob Evans for coffee. At the time, Marv asked himself why he was doing this. His kids had just returned to Los Angeles after visiting, and he thought coming out for coffee would be a waste of time. A few minutes after Anita arrived for their coffee date, she got a call from Marv, who asked, “Are we meeting at 10 a.m. or 10 p.m.?” “I thought this was crazy,” Anita told us. “I took a deep breath and thought the meeting will be short and sweet!” Anita already had her coffee when Marv walked in. He ordered tea, and Anita felt she would be out of there in 5-10 minutes. This was a far cry from what ended up to be an 11-hour date. “Prior to meeting, we only had each other's first name,” Marv said. “But once we met, there was a connection, and I realized who Anita was. I knew Jerry, but didn't know he’d passed away at the time. It didn't register.” “We had connections, but we weren't in each other's circles,” Anita added. The couple found themselves enjoying each other's company and decided to go for a ride down memory lane, each introducing the other to his/her old neighborhood. “We took a ride down memory lane, driving past previous homes and schools, reminiscing,” Marv said. “We were really enjoying each other's company, and ended up stopping at each of our current homes and going to dinner.” In the meantime, Anita's phone was ringing every 15 minutes. “My kids were concerned about my safety and they kept calling,” she said with a chuckle. “I thought it was amusing since they knew Marv's family and had never once checked on me during my 20-year real estate career!” Anita then went on to tell us that while at Marv's house, they were standing at the kitchen window, talking, when suddenly a car pulled up. A woman got out of the car, retrieved some groceries, and opened the garage door. “I thought, oh my, a woman lives here!” Anita told us while laughing. “I decided I'm leaving – I'm walking to a girlfriend's house. I'm not getting messed up here!” But Marv explained that the Ducoffs lived next door, and she could use the refrigerator and freezer for her groceries. They were expecting company for her twins’ Bar Mitzvah. “As it ended up, they appreciated the gesture and said they never have enough storage room at home,” Marv continued. “So I cleared two shelves, gave them a garage door opener, and told them to feel free to use the space whenever they needed it.” “He was laughing, but I was telling him that I didn't think it was funny,” Anita told us. Additionally, when Marv sold his house, he told the new owners that if they wanted the refrigerator and freezer, they could have it, but the Ducoffs still get to use their shelves. They were married on Marv’s 75th birthday, just a few days shy of a year from when they met, and their dressedup collective 11 grandchildren were the bridal party. As the date continued, Anita's kids were still checking in with her regularly. Anita recalled that after about 35 phone calls, her daughter, Amy, invited them over for a glass of wine, which they accepted. By the time Anita got home, the estimated 5-10 minute date had lasted 13 hours. Continued on next page. 14 Beachwood Buzz n April 2015