Three quarters of a century ago, Tom Rowland fell for Rita Forsey at a party. He was 22, she was 18.

“I was betaken by this little girl,” Tom, now 97, said. “I was swooned or something. She was beautiful.”

Rita had come from Britt, Ont., a community north of Parry Sound, to Weston, Ont. – now part of Toronto – for high school.

After noticing her at the party, Tom decided it would be worth paying the “costly” 25 cents each to take her to the theatre.

After two years of courtship, Tom decided to “go for it.” The two were married in Guelph, Ont.

Three daughters and 73 years later, Tom and Rita are still married. About five years ago, they moved into Telfer Place, a seniors’ home in Paris, Ont.

Tom says he owes his emotional and physical health to Rita. The couple will be renewing their vows today, Valentine’s Day.

“We look after each other very much. There’s a form of respect,” he said.

According to a newly released report by Revera Inc., a company that provides seniors’ care across North America, Tom and Rita Rowland are an example of seniors over 75 who recognize the role love plays in keeping them healthy.

Rivera and Leger Marketing surveyed 1,563 Canadians over the age of 18 this fall. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.5 per cent, 19 times of 20.

They reported that 70 per cent of seniors over 75 said that love and romance was important to them.

Amy D’Aprix, a gerontologist, says the research challenges myths about love and aging.

“I think the myth is that people just become friends as they age, they lose that romantic edge. And this (research) really said, that isn’t true,” she said. “Love doesn’t fade as we get older, it’s just as important.”

The health benefits of love for seniors are clear, she says. Seniors with strong social connections are less likely to develop physical and emotional issues and often live longer. Love and romance is a primary source of social interactions for many people.

“Having good social interaction has as much of a positive impact on mortality as alcohol and smoking have a negative impact,” D’Aprix said.

But the Rivera report found younger generations under-estimated how important love will be for them as they age. Just 38 per cent of baby boomers, people aged 45-64, said love would be important to them in the future.

“I thought that was indicative of how pervasive the stereotypes are in society of aging and love that people so close to that age are looking forward and saying, no, I don’t think that will matter to me, when really it will.”

D’Aprix says losing a spouse can result in a “tough period” of about two years, with a greater risk of illness.

But that can change, D’Aprix says. “If (seniors) regain that social sup-port, they go back up again,” she said. “It’s not a death sentence. Lots of people find a partner after their spouse dies.”

This research suggests Canadians should encourage seniors to stay socially active, D’Aprix says. Seniors need to be in settings that allow them to meet people.

“That’s why people will talk about how in seniors residents there’s lots of repartnering,”she said. “It’s kind of like in residence at university.”

For Tom Rowland, the report’s conclusions couldn’t be any more true. “We’ve had a wonderful life,” he says. “I’ve had the most wonderful life any-body could have.”