Ed Solinski and Lori Mansell prove that it’s never too late to find love.
The senior couple tied the knot this past summer, and they’re living happily together in one of The Reserve at Hamilton Trace’s beautiful cottages.
Their love story started three years ago. After her former husband, Jack, passed away, Lori’s family gently nudged her back into the dating scene.
“My daughters encouraged me to get off the couch and to get out there and meet someone,” Lori said.
First, they made her a profile on Match.com. And she quickly caught Ed’s eye. He was new to the world of online dating as well. After a few instant messages, phone calls and lunch meetings, they went on a good, old-fashioned dinner date.
“We chattered away all evening. We talked so long that we almost got locked in the restaurant at closing time,” Lori said with a bashful chuckle.
Ed felt the spark between them that night.
“We found out we have so much in common,” he said. “We couldn’t stop talking about our children and our lives. We just clicked together.”
More dinner dates followed along with Colts games and nights spent ballroom dancing. And then, in the fall of 2016, Ed made the kind of magically romantic gesture that only happens in the movies. On a crisp autumn evening at the Continental Dance Club, he asked the emcee to announce that Lori won a prize. When she walked across the dance floor to claim it, Ed was there waiting for her. He got down on one knee and proposed like a true gentleman.
“I won the best prize — it was Ed,” Lori said, fondly remembering this magic moment.
Ed and Lori were married on August 26, 2017 — two days after Ed’s 85th birthday. They had their wedding reception at The Reserve, which felt like the perfect place to celebrate their love. Lori moved in to their cottage a couple of weeks before the wedding and Ed joined her shortly after their honeymoon in September.
“There’s an aura around here that makes you feel like you’re pretty special,” Ed said. “I feel like we belong.”
Ed and Lori credit the staff members for making them feel right at home.
“They’re always bubbling over with enthusiasm,” Lori said. “The staff members really like being around residents and organizing activities to bring people together. They go out of their way to make every day an enjoyable experience.”
Ed and Lori like to fill their life with as much fun as possible. Lori still tap dances in the Prime Life Follies, a group she co-founded with her former husband back in 2003. Coincidentally, before he met Lori, Ed worked with the organization in which this group originated — Carmel’s PrimeLife Enrichment Center. He now serves as the emcee for the song and dance troupe, which performs at local senior living communities, including The Reserve.
Whether they’re out on the dance floor or in the comfort of their cottage, Ed and Lori love spending time together.
“I feel like I’m a teenager again,” Lori said. “We couldn’t be happier.”
