Speed-dating sweethearts find romance in their 60s
Groton — Linda Punsalan hadn't slow-danced with a man in 40 years.
That changed when she met Charlie Page, 61, on the day after Valentine's Day at the Groton Senior Center's first-ever Senior Speed Dating event.
"She has put an end to my loneliness," said Page, of Groton. "She's a breath of life to me."
"We just hang out," said Punsalan, 60. "We go to the senior center, we talk. He's just a very, very sweet man. I've never met anybody like that."
Carol Pratt and Cindy Morrisson, senior center program supervisors, organized the speed-dating event and set up rules so seniors would feel safe trying it.
Fifteen women and seven men took a chance on it.
No one gave out last names or addresses. The women sat at tables and the men rotated from one table to the next, spending five minutes with each single woman.
The seniors each had a cheat sheet to write down names of their dates, and a "yes" or "no" box to declare whether they'd like to see the person again.
Page and Punsalan both checked "yes" next to each other's names. But they didn't learn that until later.
After everyone left, Pratt and Morrisson collected the sheets and looked for their possible matches.
Then they sent each dating partner a letter with their speed-dating match's first name, last initial and phone number.
Page called Punsalan. They went on their first date on March 22.
He picked her up 11:45 a.m. at the senior center, took her to lunch at Panda Buffet in New London and then window shopping at Olde Mistick Village.
She had practice that night for an upcoming performance at the senior center, so he brought her back there after shopping so she could go to her Zumba class.
He waited 45 minutes until her classmates arrived.
"So we practically spent the whole day together," she said.
Punsalan has lived in Groton for six years and has been alone 16 years "by choice," she said.
But she'd grown tired of it, and friends encouraged her to attend the speed-dating event.
Page arrived prepared.
He wasn't sure if he'd be good on the spot, so he wrote down his questions in advance, like "What are your three most positive qualities?" and "What is your main priority in life?"
It had been two years since he dated. He tried a couple of dates more recently, but they didn't work until he went out with Punsalan.
"Her I could kiss, to tell you the truth," he said.
After their first date, the couple went to the "Senior Prom" in March at the Groton Senior Center.
Punsalan bought a dress and a friend did her hair.
And she and Charlie danced.
"He's very romantic," she said. "He's very attentive. I don't have to ask. He just does it for me. He's just very sweet, you know?"
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