NEWS photo Mihe Waketield ROD and Doreen Macdonald pose with their 1942 Star Weekly cover. Doreen fell in love with Rod’s cover pic- ture fons before she eventually met and martied him. Brows page 5. TOM ; ‘the hell.was wrong with her,” laughs Rod.“ :. What Rod didn’t know. as that Doreen. had just. ~ realized she married her Star Weekly air force man, tlic man’ of her-dreatas, Doreen’ fainted with the. realization.“ that. her. naive. oung wisn had come true. en Doreen -camé ..to, ° she-had 3“good !ook“at: the che hi at’ it: was we lished. o Doreen’ s birthday: Rod ‘Macdonaid . have been “mar: ried-for'35 ‘happy years now,.”: Second. marriages for’ both, Doreen had three kids - and “Red had three kids. The cou- ple now. have. 12. grandchil- dren‘ a “three great- grand- Stet to.a ‘solid 35- itiage ‘Doreen; 66, lau hs “Just fet the. woman have her way.” . ‘Says Rod;-78,:“I think it’s ‘being fair:zo : each | ether.’ You - must. have respect foreach herand have patience.” ~. “S. The Macdonalds’ amazing love story “does not stop wit ‘ the Stier. Weekly cover. ... 2. Rod®. abmost Doreen's divorce case. Their mutual friend Bill Gibson,-a - UBC professor and former chancellor cf the University ‘of Victoria, ‘was Rod’s neigh- bour tn Vancouver. . sf Gibson: recommended that Doreen’ see’ Rod, “the _ best. lawyer in Vancouver,” when she: needed a divorce. -¢ Doreen ‘expected attorney ‘Rod ‘Macdonald to be a “short, | bald, fat, greasy-head lawyer.” Instead Rod poked his head: ‘around a corner of his” “law office and = Doreen’s “heart just flipped. | - oo SL. was “ust ashamed. of myself because that never ‘used to Happen to me,” said ‘said, : “fired.” That was it. 1 never handle 1 Doreen. . Rod recalls telling Doreen ‘she did't want a divorcee and sounded like she wanted to -reunite with her husband. He told her to gO see another lawyer. ‘Doreen. didn’t see’ Rod -again for two years. Then she was ‘persuaded . to leave her “good job” at a drugstore on Lonsdale near 19th Street to be a legal see- retary for one of Red’s law © partners, Doreen. called: ‘Rod ! ig shor,-big boss” of the law ° firm. She became Rod’s sec- retary when his previous sec- - ‘retary became pregnant and * moved to. England: Things went well for nine " months. Dorcen said she was-, ‘a fast worker. Rod called: her conscientious. Then one day Rod was. “-annoyed because a document -had = gone. missing. Rod .accused Dereen of losing it. “I. never: lost. anything. | “was'so‘careful,” said, Doreen. Doreen got hot and quit. He would not let her get the last word. “He stood up, ‘You do not. You are went back,” said Dorcen. “Rod docked her half the “day's pay because she quit mid-day, _."Fwo months passed. Red © realized he was attracted to Doreen. ”" Rod was separated. He had been married to his first wife for 21 years, the fast 10 years were filled with separa- tions and reunions. Rod phoned Doreen fora date. She wasn’t interested. She didn’t date married men. Besides, her youngest son Dean, age four, was seriously ill, She couldn't leave him. Dorcen. eventually agreed to go out with Rod. He took her to a restaurant in the ‘unusual. Georgian ° Towers in Vancouver. Rod said, “I’ve loved only two women in my life and you could be the third.” Doreen wasn’t interested... Rod was nat divorced. ‘A.smitten Rod moved “the | into the St. Alice Hotel in North Vancouver. this hoping to run into Doreen when she went shop- ping: In a desperate move, Rod thought Doreen would change her mind about him after she read all the letters he sent his wife fron: overseas during the war. He also included his wife’s reply let- ters.- By Rod's tally, he sent “six letters for each one his wife wrote every three months. Doreen read and ‘re-read * Rad’s letters: “That’s when I realized he was a wonderful persen.” ; Doreen made sure that Rod knew she came in’a set of four: Doreen and her three kids. On‘: their second date, Rod took Doreen and her kids“to the orem park at. UBC. Rod carried four-year- old Dean cn his. shoulders. Dean was too shy to speak despite nature urgently call- ing. “I said to Dorees that there: is something warm going down my back,” revalls Dean's bladder accident didn’t deter Rod from wanti- | hg to begin a new life with Dorecn-and her kids. They went on another date — a drive up the Squamish Highway. On the way back, Re side of the road and picked Doreen a bouquet of pussy willows. “That's when I said under my breath, ‘I am going to- marry him some day.” I can’t believe J said that, but I did,” said Doreen. They married 1% years later, Rod says he was proud to adopt Dorcen’s kids. Doreen and Rod know their. love story is most Despire that, they have avoided publicity. The North © Vancouver couple recently sat in their . cozy family room reminiscing about their lives together. Ironically after a full and busy life, Doreen now tives in the . He did He stopped at the ; neighbourhood she grew up in and about six blocks away from her_old house on 1 West 6th Sereet. Rod was not just an air force cover model, highly decorated navigator. flew 52> missions in Europe with the Squadron (Toronto) and the sin: Ss uadron (Edmonton). was born in Victoria and ‘raised in Ottawa. He quipped. that — Dercen unknowingly “set the trap carly”. for. their. marriage when she fell in love with the _ Star Weekly cover. Doreen says they have had. the “best marriage of any-ine I know.” The Star Weekly - cover? After Doreen examined it for pin marks, she had it framed. It-has been’ hanging. in the couple’s s bedroom ever since. Doreen. had ‘it re-matted recently: to match their: bed- ‘ room colours. “We have had a wonderful life,” said Doreen looking at catch.” Sal Albert China Ro onsdate Ave., i Van. 984-6700 1730 Marine Drive, W, Van, 926-7710 F CORRECTION NOTICE in our 810-2 Bay Oay flyer, Hunt Club 10 will be substituied at the store. iW Pinwheel and Cress & Olive Stemware 8 aSets offer on page 19 should havs tead “fey $17.98 aach. Hay Day Price $8.99 each” and siould not have read’ “Set of 4", Groovy Tunes or Meosical § Beads offer on page 22 should read “Reg. $24.99 and $27.99. Bay Day} Price $18.99 and $21.99", Little Tikes: Vehicle Sats, Little Tikes Electronic . Project Workshop, he was a - 400. Rod, “You were’ a real good . . | Working Harder for Your Neighbourhcodi Ke-Elect Trevor Carolan District Councillor The Community Enthusiast! With a demonstrated commitment to the community aver mony years. ° Vote Jim Ramsay for NV City Councillor y Tel: 980-0799 wwew. yourpolitician. com.