Two friends who shared a passion become husband and wife  

By Meghann Finn Sepulveda

Ava Carter and Bob Wells knew each other for several years before their romance began. While living at The Colonnade, they attended dinner parties and social gatherings with mutual friends in Sun City Grand. Following the loss of their spouses, Ava and Bob discovered the feelings they had for one another was love — and it was the kind of love that would last for many years to come.

Overcoming grief

Ava, an aircraft pilot, moved into The Colonnade, a Life Care Community, with her husband in 2011.

“We chose to live here because we knew that if something happened to one of us, the other person would be happy here among friends,” says Ava.

Just four years later, Ava’s husband passed away. Her daughter and son-and-law asked Ava to move to the Midwest and even offered to build mother-in-law quarters in their new home.

“I immediately told my daughter that I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else and I wanted to stay here,” she says.

Little did she know that just 300 feet away Bob was adjusting to life at The Colonnade without his wife, who passed away in 2010. A retired aircraft materials engineer, he kept busy flying radio-controlled airplanes, a hobby he’s had for many years.

Ava immersed herself in activities, too, making pottery and knitting to stay busy.

Getting to know each other

Ava and Bob were friendly toward each other when they played dominoes and visited at other events at The Colonnade.

“We knew each other pretty well so it wasn’t like meeting a stranger,” Ava said.

Last January, Bob called Ava and asked her to go to dinner.

“I asked, ‘Why?’” Ava says with a laugh. “He said he wanted to talk and I wondered what he wanted to talk about.”

They dined at nearby Grandview Terrace and discussed their shared passion for airplanes. Later that evening, Bob asked if Ava liked old comedy movies. She did.

The two friends watched a movie together the following night. Bob left the movie at Ava’s house.

“He had to come back and get the movie,” Ava says. “He brought several more over.”

The couple began spending more evenings together watching movies. Their neighbors started to notice, but it wasn’t until they attended a Mardi Gras party at The Colonnade that their relationship really began to bloom.

“It didn’t take long,” Ava recalls.

Declaring their love

A few months later, while on a trip to Prescott, the couple took a walk near a beautiful waterfall. It was there that Bob asked Ava to marry him.

She said, “Yes.” 

“I never thought I’d ever get married again,” Ava says.

In May, surrounded by their closest friends, Ava and Bob exchanged vows at the Grand Community Baptist Church.

“We had flowers, music and lit a unity candle,” Ava says. “It was beautiful.”

They celebrated with an intimate dinner at Grandview Terrace following the ceremony.

Combining lives

After the wedding and a honeymoon to Hawaii, Bob moved into Ava’s home at The Colonnade. The couple kept some of their belongings but also purchased new furniture together and quickly began settling in as newlyweds.

Ava and Bob like to travel and enjoy taking trips, visiting museums and other points of interest. Last fall, the couple took a month-long vacation to the Midwest and spent time with their newly acquired families and friends.

Today the pair is keeping up with their hobbies, staying busy and enjoying each other’s company.

“We have a lot of fun together,” Ava says.