Marital bliss

Harold "Beau" Rabb and Marilla Lee have been together for 38 years and are obviously still madly in love. While managing motels brought them an income over the years, Beau and Marilla's passion was centered around community theater and each other. In their apartment at Skylark Assisted Living Center, where they've lived for the past five years, Marilla has a bookcase lined with scrapbooks full of newspaper clippings, photographs, and playbills from all their years involved with community theater. Both were more than happy to share some of their memories, and, in honor of Valentine's Day, a few words of advice regarding romance.

Harold "Beau" Rabb and Marilla Lee Photo by Debi Smith | Daily Tidings

DT: How did the two of you meet?

Marilla: I was living in Santa Cruz and singing in a band that performed at a place down near the boardwalk. Sometimes, when the guys would take a break, I'd go into the piano bar and sing for tips. One night I met this nice looking man who'd driven all the way from North Carolina. He'd arrived in San Francisco with a big weaving loom strapped to the top of his truck, and he was planning on driving up the coast selling his art at craft centers. When he got to Santa Cruz, he liked it and decided to stay for a bit. He would eat regularly at a fish place near the wharf but it was closed one night ... and he went across the street and met me. We saw each other every day after that.

Beau: And night.

Marilla: On the night we met he had me sing several songs for him. He's a director and wanted me to sing so he could tell me what I did wrong. Maybe he was just being kind, but he couldn't tell me anything.

Beau: Really what got us together is that I sang for her. Tennessee Waltz. That's what got her!

Marilla: He said, "I'll sing a song for you if you don't laugh." He sang and I laughed. It was funny. He missed a couple of notes, but not too bad, considering he'd had a little beer.

DT: And you've been performing together ever since.

Marilla: It was a perfect match somehow. After I knew him for a little while I got kinda scared. I thought, oh boy, I'm falling for this guy. I'd made up my mind after my last divorce to never fall in love with anyone again and here I was doing it. I fell head over heels and have been that way ever since.

In the spring we went on a road trip to North Carolina with Beau's niece and youngest daughter and her boyfriend. Beau wanted us to take a little gospel show to the nursing homes and places there; he set it all up. Once there, the places had no air conditioning or space to plug in the equipment. It wasn't easy and I got to thinking, "Why are we doing this? Do these people care about this music?" One day we went to a home and they brought out this woman on a gurney, covered from head to toe in a sheet. We started playing, and when I looked over at her and saw her foot moving to the music, I knew why we were doing it.

DT: You took music to nursing homes when you were younger, and have done plays about aging, how do you both feel now that you're farther along in age?

Marilla: Mad. It's a dirty trick.

Beau: It's like you just got started. I have a hard time even looking at those scrapbooks, because it just makes you want to go back.

Marilla: We've tried to start an acting class here for the residents, but they thought it would be too hard to memorize all the lines. So we suggested making it a readers' theater, but it didn't go over too well.

DT: What if you offered a multigenerational class, and invited members from the community of Ashland?

Beau and Marilla: Maybe.

DT: Marilla, what is one of the most romantic things Beau has ever done for you?

Marilla: One Christmas I didn't have any of my family with me, (both Beau and Marilla have children from previous marriages) and I felt a little lost. Beau went out and got me everything I thought I wanted. There was this little pair of boots that I loved. And a coat. I had those boots until just a couple years ago. He made me realize that I was having and enjoying Christmas even if my family wasn't there.

Beau: And we've enjoyed it ever since.

Marilla: He often brings me flowers. It's a real gesture of love.

DT: Beau, what is one of the most romantic things Marilla has ever done for you?

Beau: That's a hard question, because there's been so many things ....

Marilla: Oh, I know. Remember that birthday weekend? I started it off with a singing telegram and the next day gave you tickets to a mystery theater, and on Sunday took you to brunch. You can tell her about the singing telegram if you want. I was the singing telegram! I wore a raincoat over a lace teddy, and a hat, and the boots he'd given me. I came to the door and started singing, "Your sister Rose is dead ... pardon me, wrong telegram."

Beau: Then you did something else crazy. She's been doing surprising things for years and years.

Marilla: I haven't jumped out of a cake yet.

Beau: You've still got time.

Marilla: The geriatric stripper!

DT: Do you have any advice regarding relationships and romance that you'd like to share?

Marilla: Don't lie to each other, even if it's going to hurt not to — we made a promise about that. And don't be afraid of romance, it's nice to have ... it warms your heart.

Beau: Trust each other, be attentive to each other, and enjoy your time together; it may last a day or ten years — enjoy every moment.

If you are interested in getting together with Beau and Marilla at Skylark for a community readers' theater, or some romance advice, please contact Debi Smith at 482-3631 or at debi@mind.net