In 1946, just after Guy Allbright got home from World War II, his friend wanted to introduce him to someone. The woman that his friend was thinking of, Marge, worked with her at the Army Security Agency in Arlington.
The two met and hit it off. They married on March 15, 1947, which was income tax day in those days.
"That was Marge’s downfall," Guy said on their meeting.
Marge explained, "She thought that we’d make a nice couple, I think."
Guy and Marge Allbright — 81 and 80, respectively — have been married for more than 55 years. They’ve lived in Vienna, in the same house, for 51 years. When asked how they kept the marriage alive, they said they respected each other’s likes and differences.
"We’re interested in what each other is interested in," Marge said.
Guy replied, "If you argue, you just kiss and make up."
Guy grew up in Dallas and in southwestern Virginia, while Marge grew up in Grandview, Ohio. After they were married, for the first four years they lived in an apartment in Arlington, which Guy got through connections. Back then, Guy explained, you couldn’t buy anything after the war — clothes, cars.
During their spare time, they would look for houses they could settle in. It took them four years to find the home in Vienna, and it wasn’t even completely built yet — the front door frame was the only thing that stood. After watching it be built, they moved into the house in 1951. Much of the surrounding land back then was still undeveloped. Horses and cattle would occasionally run through the yard, and Guy recalled waking up several times to the sound of hoofs hitting the ground.
"Tysons was nothing," Guy said.
Through the years, they have remained active in the community, by gardening, going to church and neighborhood parties, and fighting to keep Vienna a town of single-family homes. They have one son, Barry, who now lives in Herndon, and two grandchildren. They have traveled all over the United States together, and they go out for dinner a lot. Whenever Guy plays golf, Marge drives the cart.
"It keeps you going when you go to places," Guy said.
Yet they both stressed that their marriage has lasted because the differences don’t mean much.
"She’s the only one I ever really loved," Guy said.