Local Stories of Love: Dobbs Ferry's Debbie and Bill

This was sent by former Dobbs Ferry resident Debbie—who now lives in Texas—but is still deeply connected to the Dobbs Ferry community: 

Forty-one years ago I met the love of my life on a blind date—a friend of both of ours was babysitting and told the two of us to meet where she was working. 

We both got there around the same time and she wouldn't let us in the house because the children she was sitting for were still up. 

She said, "Debbie this is Bill; Bill this is Debbie. Now go!"  I was a Senior at DFHS, and he had graduated from Ardsley three years prior. We dated for a while, and Bill soon after left for Vietnam. 

While he was away I became extremely close with his family, and when his sister got married, I became her Maid of Honor and also became the Godmother to her daughter. 

When Bill came home things were just not the same. Though we tried to work it out, we just couldn't.  He moved away and we both married other people. 

Thirty years later—and after two bad marriages—Bill found me on our local Dobbs Ferry Alumni website. Nine years ago I followed him down to Texas where we live now, with our dog Maris and cat Casey.  

Debbie Shakin Epstein—who added that, besides the pets, they both have children from their previous marriages.  

Send your stories to elizabeth@patch.com.