Lifelong lessons in love, from two experts
By: Dawn-Marie Conaty
Staff Reporter
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: Other Stories
Two former professors have never given up their pursuit of learning, and they could also teach a lesson on love. It's an unusual fairytale how 84-year-old Eunice Ordman and her 63-year-old husband Edward ended up together.
"Everyone was telling us we shouldn't get married, and we did. And every day, we thank God for it," said Eunice as she glanced at Edward, who was looking down at his deep-green broad-brimmed fedora.
"We differed in age, and we differed in religion. He was an orthodox Jew, and I was a liberal Northern Baptist," Eunice said.
It was through the love of computers that the couple got to know each other while they were professors at New England College. When Edward decided to move to Memphis, Eunice said she was going with him.
"We weren't married. We weren't engaged. But when Chip said he was leaving, I said I was leaving with him," she said.
After teaching at The U of M for two years, Eunice retired from the computer science department. Edward retired from the same department 13 years later in 2001.
As Eunice enters her 40th semester of taking classes and Edward his 14th, the former U of M professors said they don't intend to stop going to class anytime soon. But they took numerous classes just for the love of learning.
"As long as we're able, there's no need to stop. It's the best deal going," Eunice said with a smile.
Edward, a Princeton graduate, is also keen to taking classes.
"When I went to college, I thought college was so much fun and didn't want to leave," Edward said. "When I stopped teaching classes, I started taking them."
The couple has taken classes in sociology, anthropology and photography.
"Usually we take two courses every semester, and if the professor turns out to be lousy, we just drop it," Edward said.
Eunice, a Rutgers graduate who hails from New Jersey, said she always enjoyed learning and does not want to stop.
"When I was a kid, I thought learning was fun, and here was the opportunity to take courses free," she said.
"Everyone was telling us we shouldn't get married, and we did. And every day, we thank God for it," said Eunice as she glanced at Edward, who was looking down at his deep-green broad-brimmed fedora.
"We differed in age, and we differed in religion. He was an orthodox Jew, and I was a liberal Northern Baptist," Eunice said.
It was through the love of computers that the couple got to know each other while they were professors at New England College. When Edward decided to move to Memphis, Eunice said she was going with him.
"We weren't married. We weren't engaged. But when Chip said he was leaving, I said I was leaving with him," she said.
After teaching at The U of M for two years, Eunice retired from the computer science department. Edward retired from the same department 13 years later in 2001.
As Eunice enters her 40th semester of taking classes and Edward his 14th, the former U of M professors said they don't intend to stop going to class anytime soon. But they took numerous classes just for the love of learning.
"As long as we're able, there's no need to stop. It's the best deal going," Eunice said with a smile.
Edward, a Princeton graduate, is also keen to taking classes.
"When I went to college, I thought college was so much fun and didn't want to leave," Edward said. "When I stopped teaching classes, I started taking them."
The couple has taken classes in sociology, anthropology and photography.
"Usually we take two courses every semester, and if the professor turns out to be lousy, we just drop it," Edward said.
Eunice, a Rutgers graduate who hails from New Jersey, said she always enjoyed learning and does not want to stop.
"When I was a kid, I thought learning was fun, and here was the opportunity to take courses free," she said.