James A. Taylor and D’Adrian (Dee) Hays Taylor are celebrating 68 years of marriage. The couple met in 1945, at Everett High School. Shortly after Jim joined the Navy, he and Dee married at the tender age of 17.

Two years later, they welcomed their first child, Michael. The young family grew with birth of twins Janice and James in 1950. They were blessed with another child, Gary, who arrived in 1952.

When Jim advanced to flight engineer on the Super Constellation Aircraft, the Navy took him around world and carried the family to Hawaii, California and Maryland. Returning to Washington state in 1971, the couple settled down in Oak Harbor when Jim was transferred to NAS Whidbey.

As the children grew, Dee went to work for the Navy Retail System.

Following retirement from the Navy in 1977, Jim worked at Hawley’s Auto Shop in Oak Harbor and Dee retired in 1988. Since Jim retired in 1994 they have spent their free time working on their acreage, traveling across the country in their motor home and enjoying their eight grandchildren.

Their legacy of love is the strong family they built, which has grown to include 12 great-grandchildren.