ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — Not many couples make it to 80 years of marriage—but Harry and Harriet Kalish aren’t most couples.
Harry, a 100-year-old Navy veteran and Purple Heart recipient, and his wife Harriet, 99, are marking eight decades of marriage on July 29. The Oro Valley couple has built a life defined by love, resilience and quiet dedication—from surviving a war to raising a family and even playing pickleball into their 90s.
They met as teenagers in Illinois—Harry was 16, Harriet just 15—when a group of friends often went bowling together.
“My job in the group was to assign a girl to each of the guys,” Harry recalled. “One day, I said to [Harriet], you're going to go with—, and she said, ‘No, I only want to go with you.’ And we've been going steady since then.”
Harriet remembered how often Harry used to call her to be a partner for other boys in the group. “And then I said, ‘Why are you keep calling me so often?’ He said, ‘Because we need you to fill in with these guys.’ And I said, ‘Well, if I can fill in with one of these guys, I would like to fill in with you.’”
Years later, during World War II, Harry served on the LSM 135—an amphibious Navy ship stationed off the coast of Okinawa. During an attack, a kamikaze pilot slammed into the ship’s conning tower. Only 11 of the roughly 63 men on board survived.
“The only open space to get out was a doorway which was on fire,” Harry said. “The only way to get through the fire was to jump through the fire and land on a deck.”
After being treated for burns, he was discharged in St. Louis. That’s when he and Harriet finally tied the knot.
“We had a very small wedding,” Harriet said. “Now you have big weddings. We didn’t have that.”
From the beginning, their marriage was built on simplicity and strength. “We just assumed there was no reason not to be married,” Harry said. “We had a happy existence.”
He added: “I don’t think we have an exceptional life. Other people seem to think so, but I don’t see it as something out of the ordinary.”
But to those who know them, their life is anything but ordinary. They raised a family, cared for countless pets—including Rudy, a half-lab, half-boxer they adopted in Colorado—and even played pickleball. Harry played until he was 92, retiring only after several falls and surgeries.
“I probably am the oldest pickleball player that has played here,” he said with a smile.
He also spent years volunteering in the Big Brother program. Two of the boys he mentored still stay in touch, more than five decades later.
Looking back on their marriage, Harry says there’s no grand secret.
“There’s no secret,” Harry said. “It’s just a normal life.”
Harriet, however, offered some advice: “Communication is very important. And do what you want to do today, because you never know what tomorrow is going to bring.”
She added that supporting each other’s passions—whether it was Harry’s mentoring or her racquetball—played a major role.
“If you get involved in what he’s doing, you’re happy you’re doing the same thing… and it’s something to talk about afterwards,” she said.
Even now, as they prepare to celebrate their 80th anniversary, Harry insists the milestone doesn’t feel much different than any other.
“We just have to be happy and have a good time that day,” he said. “And remember who we are—and that we’ve enjoyed our life together.”
——-
Kenny Darr is a reporter for KGUN 9. He joined the team in January 2023. Before arriving in Arizona he was an Anchor and Reporter at KADN in Lafayette, LA. Share your story ideas with Kenny by emailing kenny.darr@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
