Gareld
McEathron
1928-2026
Written by Rick
Archer
May 2026
|
Rick Archer's Note:
My friend
Gareld McEathron passed away on May 13, 2026. He
was 97.
Gareld
was one of the finest men I ever met. The only
problem I ever had with Gareld was spelling his
first name.
I spent
the first 10 years spelling it 'Garald'.
I spent the next 10 years spelling it 'Gerald'.
Finally
one day his daughter Deborah wrote me an email.
"Note
to Rick. It is spelled 'Gareld'.
After 20 years, Dad is still too polite to
correct you, so I thought I would do it for him."
Gareld
met his second wife Virginia at my dance studio.
They were married for 27 years. Gareld has the
distinction of being the first man to ever propose
to his wife AT THE DANCE STUDIO. I will share the
full story in due time.
|
 |
Deborah Taylor wrote her father's obituary
 |
Gareld Ross McEathron
August 24, 1928 � May 13, 2026
Gareld was born August
24, 1928, in Philip, South Dakota
He passed away on May 13,
2026, in Bellaire, Texas, after
a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He
was 97 at the time.
Gareld grew up in South Dakota and moved to Corpus
Christi, Texas, as a teenager. He graduated from
Corpus Christi High School and attended the
University of Houston. A man of remarkable
dedication and work ethic, he devoted nearly 40
years to Tenneco, where he built a distinguished
career on projects across the United States, Canada,
and France. He retired in 1992, leaving a legacy of
commitment and excellence.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Gareld
embraced life with enthusiasm and a wicked sense of
humor. He loved travel, especially to France and
Scotland, and never missed a chance to dance. In his
final days, he would hold hands with anyone willing
to join him and dance using only his hands to "lead". That
playfulness reflected his joyful spirit and his love
of connection.
Gareld was preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth
and Esther McEathron; his brothers, Warren McEathron
and Wallace McEathron; his first wife, Ruth Kean
McEathron; and his second wife, Virginia Lynn Eason
McEathron, who also passed away in
2020 after a courageous battle with
Alzheimer's disease.
He is survived by his son, Ross McEathron, and wife,
Carolyn; his daughter, Deborah Taylor, and husband,
Karl Rorabacher; four grandchildren, David McEathron
and wife, Rebecca Holliday, Deidra Wilson and
husband, Carl Wilson, Ryan McEathron and wife,
Bethannie McEathron, and Evan McEathron and fiancee,
Carla Martinez; three great-grandchildren; nieces
Candye McEathron, Karen Stroter, Laurie Evans, and
Heather O'Connor; and
nephews Edwin McEathron and Andy McEathron.
Gareld was also blessed with a wonderful extended
family that became his own when he married Virginia.
He is survived by Virginia's
three children, Patti Martin, Juli Robbins, Mike
Eason; son-in-law Jack Robbins; four grandchildren,
Trevor Martin and wife, Yoonie, Westley Martin and
wife, Kaylin, Eric Martin, and Joel Robbins; and six
great-grandchildren, Maelie Martin, Makoa Martin,
Audrina Martin, Kalia Martin, Raiya Martin, and
Kruex Martin.
The family extends its heartfelt gratitude to the
staff at The Gardens of Bellaire for their
compassionate care and support. They also deeply
appreciate the staff at Bluebonnet Health Services,
whose hospice care kept Dad comfortable during his
final days.
Gareld will be deeply missed by his loving family
and all who had the privilege of knowing him,
especially those in the Houston dance community.
|
Rick Archer's Note:
"Any man who learns to
dance has a chance."
Gareld was the absolute embodiment of that
phrase. His love of dance gave him rock
star status at my studio for many years.
In 1993, Gareld became the first man to ever
propose to his girlfriend here at the
studio. He popped the question to Virginia
right in the middle of an SSQQ dance class!
They got married a year later in 1994. In
the 32 years I ran the studio, Gareld and
Virginia were the only SSQQ couple to get
engaged on the studio premises and go on to
get married. It is a sweet story.
Oddly enough, at the time only a smattering
of people at the studio knew the details.
Why was that? There was no SSQQ Newsletter
in those days. Nor was there any Internet.
Word of mouth spread the story to some
extent, but I would say at most one in ten
heard the story. For that reason, one of
the best stories in the history of SSQQ
remained relatively unknown.
I ran my dance studio for 32 years,
1978-2010. During this time SSQQ had a
well-deserved reputation as a good place to
meet a girlfriend or boyfriend. There were
also a lot of marriages. However, since I
was the only one in a position to know this,
the legend of SSQQ Slow Dance and Romance
remained a rumor for the first 20 years.
|
 |
 |
The dawn of the Internet changed
everything. In 1999 people started sending
me email notices of weddings and
engagements. At the end of the year I
collected all these emails and put them in
one place. When I saw the total, I gasped.
In 1999, we had 16 marriages and 10
engagements (and there may have been more!)
When I announced my discovery, it created a
sensation at the studio. I had just
confirmed that the legend was true. Word
spread like wildfire. Now that SSQQ was
officially crowned as the best place in
Houston to find romance, attendance in 2000
rose by 20%. So did the marriages. We were
up to 19 weddings in 2000. I continued to
track the phenomenon for 11 years. During
this time SSQQ had 163 reported marriages.
(To see for yourself, visit SSQQ
Romance, then scroll to the bottom)
To me, the knowledge that SSQQ averaged over
one wedding per month for 11 years was
staggering. What could account for this?
SSQQ was not a church. Nor was it a bar.
But in a curious way, the studio seemed to
combine the best features of both. We had
the warmth and kindness associated with a
church plus the sexy opportunity for men to
put their arms around the ladies. Inspired
by Cupid's magic, I came to see the studio
not as a job, but more as a spiritual duty.
In preparation for an upcoming 2006
Valentines Day article, Houston Chronicle
reporter Tara Dooley contacted me by phone.
She wanted to write a story about the dance
studio's vaunted reputation as Cupid's Happy
Hunting Ground. I gave her two stories.
One was Greg and Susan Broer. The other was
Gareld and Virginia McEathron.
Unfortunately, Tara only used the Greg and
Susan story for her article.
I was upset. Why? Since Gareld and
Virginia's story took place long before the
Internet or SSQQ Newsletter, I was counting
on Tara's article to tell the touching story
of my all-time favorite courtship. That is
when I decided to write the story myself.
However, I was in for a surprise. When I
asked Gareld for some of the details, he
offered to write the story himself. Gareld
did a wonderful job.
As you read, I want you to concentrate on
three themes. First, watch how Gareld
confirms the phrase "Slow Dance leads to
Romance." Second, see how taking dance
lessons at SSQQ offered Gareld and Virginia
built-in chances to know each other first as
friends, then as lovers. Third, see how
Gareld used his dance skill to constantly
renew the spark of love in their marriage.
|
|
Recollections on Meeting and Marrying Virginia
Written by Gareld McEathron
|
 |
Virginia and I met at SSQQ. We arrived via
different paths with the same thought of learning to
dance.
Virginia worked for MD Anderson Hospital as a
teacher with the responsibility of keeping children
cancer patients up to date with their studies. In
1993 the hospital organized a party at
Eddie's Country Ballroom south of Houston. Virginia
attended the party. However,
due to her strict Baptist upbringing, she did not
know how to dance. An
instructor from SSQQ was there and gave beginning
lessons early in the evening. Virginia
enjoyed the experience, so she decided
to take lessons at SSQQ because
it was near her home.
|
I learned to dance at age twelve. I shined shoes
after school and on Saturdays in the local
barbershop in a small town in South Dakota. The
recently widowed barber was dating a young
lady who cared for
her sixteen year old sister while her
parents were away. The
barber wanted to take his girlfriend to a
dance on Saturday night, but
she couldn't leave her sister by herself.
So the barber told me he would pay
our way if I would escort the sister.
Age 16, the girl wasn't too happy to
be seen with a twelve year old as her date.
However, since there was an
oversupply of young ladies, my "date" spent
much of the evening teaching me to dance.
My family moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, the
next summer. This put a
brief end to my dance career. I did
not get back to dancing until the
middle of my junior year of High School. At the time, 1944, I
was a district route manager for the
newspaper. Given my age,
this was unusual, but every able-bodied man
was off fighting the war. Who else were
they going to get? My job gave me a special
perk - my own car.
This was a rarity for a teenager
during World War II. Due
to gas rationing, I
was issued "C" ration stamps.
This was supposed to provide just
enough gas to service my district.
In addition I
received the standard "A" stamp book
provided to each vehicle for personal use
(about five gallons per week).
To conserve gas, I strapped
a bicycle to the front of the car.
I used the bike to ride around to
check that every paperboy
had made it out of bed in the morning. This practice,
along with an occasional can of cleaning
fluid dumped in the tank, left me with gas
for occasional dates, etc.
Since I had a car, I had plenty of
requests to double date. My
standard reply was, "I will be happy to take
you and your girlfriend if you can talk your
family out of a five gallon stamp from your
family allotment". This
was great for me. Thanks
to my dating service, I had all the gas I
needed. The only problem was
explaining to the rationing board how I
could wear out so many tires based
on my limited allotment of gas.
Needless to say, things were a bit different
back in those days.
My best friend's girlfriend had taken ballet
lessons as a child and liked to dance. He
only liked Country Western music and didn't
like to dance. When
we double-dated to
a dance at her insistence, she and I started
working out jitterbug steps.
Swing dancing was the big thing during World
War II. We pooled our memory from
what we saw on the news clips at the movies
as well as what others were doing.
There was no such thing as dance lessons;
you watched it and tried to copy it. Then
you stepped on a lot of toes till you
figured it out.
As time went on, I found girlfriends to
dance with. I seldom
missed the Friday night Twix-Teen dance. When
I was dating my first wife, Ruth, dancing
was a big part of our courtship. Unfortunately,
the dancing ended when Ruth contacted
polio. She was
pregnant with our daughter Deborah (pregnant
women were 9 times
more susceptible to polio than the general
population). Polio was a
huge problem in America during the late
Forties and throughout the Fifties.
Since Ruth was unable to
dance, that put an end to dancing for quite
some time. About the only time I
danced for the next forty years was at
occasional parties with
the wives whose husbands
didn't dance. However, during most
of the last six years before
retirement, I had several projects in
France. I spent a
good deal of time in the same hotel in the
small town of St. Dizier.
The hotel proprietor and his family
started inviting me to dinner parties in
their home and to local social functions
which frequently involved dancing. I had
only Waltzed one
time as a teen-ager and could not do so with
the French ladies. Nonetheless,
I had a great time with the swing and
foxtrot dances.
I retired at the end of 1991.
Sadly, my first wife Ruth passed
away the next summer in
1992. My
children Ross and
Deborah gave me a certificate to
Leisure Learning for Christmas that same year. (Leisure
Learning was a adult education program that
offered classes in everything from
country-western dancing to Spanish, auto
maintenance, and computer programming. SSQQ
was the featured dance studio.)
1993 was my year to try
some new things. The first thing I
did with the certificate was take a
class to become EPA-certified
to handle Freon. This
way I could continue to maintain my
car and home air conditioning systems. The
second thing was go to a cooking
class. Ruth had
complained to her sister that since I never
cooked, I wouldn't be able to take care of
myself when she was gone. I
never had a need to learn since Ruth was such
a good cook. As the oldest child in
a family of working parents, out
of necessity Ruth had become an
accomplished cook by the time we were
married.
The third thing was to go back to
France for a visit during the party
season.
However, I wanted to learn to
Waltz first. Unfortunately... or
fortunately depending on how you
look at it... there
were no
Waltz classes offered.
So I delayed going to France
and took Swing,
Tango and Western Polka classes at
a place called SSQQ in Bellaire.
In the third month, I took a Rumba
class in which there was an excess
of men. Paula Stegemeier,
the teacher, recruited women from
her previous classes to fill in for
the balance of the month. Virginia
was one of the
volunteers.
The next week, Virginia organized a
group to go dancing at the Inn
on the Lake. I
signed up. The
Inn turned out to not have a dance
at that time so the event was
cancelled.
However, Virginia now had
my telephone number.
Clever lady.
|
 |
About a week later, Virginia called me.
She said there was going to be a
birthday party at Eddie's Ballroom
down in Manville. Virginia said she
and her friend Dee were going.
Would I like to join them? Sure. I
offered to drive. I
hung up and called my daughter Deborah to
see if she knew anything about Eddie's.
I also asked if wearing a white shirt
be appropriate attire. Deborah informed
me that my plaid shirt would be better. I
said "Oh no! That
one is not ironed."
Deborah promptly came over and ironed the
plaid shirt. We
went to the dance and stayed to the end of
the night. It was
late and the drive back to Houston was
long. On the way home, I offered to
stop at a diner and buy breakfast.
However the place I knew about was
already closed. Virginia
offered to cook breakfast at her house. Dee
said she was tired and wanted to go home, so
we dropped her off. When
we got to Virginia's, there were two eggs in
the refrigerator and some bread for toast.
That was enough for breakfast.
The next week I was practicing my newfound
cooking skills. I invited
my daughter Deborah to come for dinner. When
she accepted, I called Virginia on her cell
phone. I caught her while
driving home from work and invited her to
stop by for dinner. I assured
her that my daughter would be there
as well (in case Virginia felt
the need for a chaperone).
The dinner went well. No one was poisoned.
When Deborah discretely left
after dinner, I
played my WWII Hit Parade CDs so we could
practice our dance steps.
Dancing close brought us closer together in
another way.
From that beginning, Virginia
and I dated frequently.
We took the time to meet each other's
families. I took
Virginia to Dallas to meet my late wife's
sister, Roberta. They
immediately became friends. Roberta
remarked, "Whew!
That takes a load off of me.
Ruth (my first wife) made me promise
that I would find a suitable woman for
Gareld. Look at him, he
did it on his own!"
When I decided to ask Virginia to marry me,
I asked my children's opinions. Deborah
was quite happy with my decision. My
son Ross said, "Thank God, I thought you
were going to mess around
and let her get away". The
unwavering support from both of our families
has been wonderful.
So how am I going to do
this? Virginia had given me a card
that said, "I love you, I need you, I
want you." The
envelope was addressed with a bold red "G". I
casually asked where she got the card.
Later I went to the shop and bought a
card identical to it. Inside,
I wrote in bold, red letters "Will you marry
me?" and put it in her original envelope.
By chance, Paula was teaching a Rumba
class again. I
signed us up to repeat the class.
 |
I informed many people of my
intentions to propose in the same
class as the one in
which we first met.
One of them was Rick Archer, the
studio owner. He offered useful
suggestions on how to disguise my
plan. To allay Virginia's
suspicions when family members and
friends appeared toward
the end of the class, I told her
that they were
meeting us to
go Country Western dancing after the
class. I added that my
son Ross had
his video camera to take movies
while we were there.
I arranged with Paula to call
Virginia to the end of the room to
be in camera range. When
she arrived, I pulled the envelope
out of my coat pocket.
In a solemn voice, I said to
Paula, "You know that
Virginia and I first met in
your Rumba class.
Now I want to show you how
far this relationship has progressed."
Virginia, on recognizing the
envelope, started to protest.
Suspicious, she said, "What
is going on here?"
I handed Virginia the card and
suggested she read it to Paula. Virginia was
obviously flustered.
When she opened the card and
saw the message, her
immediate reaction was to exclaim,
"I didn't write THAT!"
Suddenly it
soaked in.
Virginia's face broke out in a huge
smile. In an instant, I got
a big hug, kiss and a
resounding "YES!"
|
|
|
RICK
ARCHER REMEMBERS GARELD McEATHRON
|
What I
remember best about Gareld was how much he loved to
dance. His favorite was Swing dancing. He was very
good at it.
Here is
what was special about Gareld. He was often the
oldest man in whatever dance studio activity he
participated in. For example, when I first met him,
I was 43 and Gareld was 64. Despite our age
difference, every time I saw him, he was out on the
floor. It was embarrassing how much more often he
was out there than me. I was amazed by his stamina
and enthusiasm. He once said he tried to dance with
every woman in the room at least once. He did not
like to see a woman frown for lack of a partner.
Ten
years later, same thing. I was 53, Gareld was 74.
I still couldn't keep up with him. It was not till
Gareld turned 80 that my energy matched his, but
just barely. Mind you, I was almost 60 at the
time.
After
his 80th birthday, slowly but surely Gareld began to
show his age. He was slightly stooped over at this
point. However, that did not stop him. Gareld was
still out there dancing up a storm. The man was
ageless! I have a picture of Gareld Swing dancing
at age 88. That is incredible.
I was
not the only person who admired Gareld. All my
dance friends felt the same way. Every night
someone would comment on how dancing seemed to keep
Gareld young. I could not agree more. I have seen
study after study that claims SOCIAL DANCING is the
number one activity to keep the mind sharp in our
senior years. As far our dance group was concerned,
Gareld was the absolute embodiment of that claim.
Gareld was our hero.
Gareld
was very popular with the ladies. As well they
should be! The ladies really appreciated his
determination to dance not just them, but with every
lady in the room. Gareld was especially kind to the
shy girls who were beginners. He would take them
out there, coach them, encourage them, and
compliment them. He was always such a gentleman.
Virginia never had the slightest reason to doubt his
loyalty.
On one
of our cruises, someone suggested Gareld take a
picture with several of his lady friends. Once the
other ladies saw what was going on, they wanted to
be the picture too. The next you know, Gareld was
surrounded by 50 smiling women. The group included
Virginia and Deborah, his two favorite ladies.
Gareld was loved by many. He deserved it.
|
Gareld, age 83, dancing with his
wife Virginia
|
GARELD'S LOVE OF SSQQ CRUISE TRIPS
|
Gareld
and Virginia went on the very first SSQQ Dance
Cruise in 1998. We went to Jamaica. Before he was
done, Gareld would participate in 16 SSQQ cruise
trips.
I had
not yet discovered the value of photography, so I
don't have much to offer in the way of pictures from
trip. We had 30 people on the cruise. One thing I
noticed was how much fun they had dancing. Cruise
trips offer people a lot of free time and there is
always a dance floor somewhere. Thanks to Gareld
and Virginia, they got the dancing started every
night on the trip.
1998 was
the year SSQQ exploded with energy. First came the
revival of interest in Swing music and dancing.
Then came Ricky Martin's "Living la Vida Loca".
That caused Salsa dancing to become a sensation. We
now had two dance fads operating at the same time.
Our rooms were packed every night of the week. At
the turn of the Millennium, we had 1,400 people a
week pass through our doors. For that reason, I
believe SSQQ had become the largest independent
dance studio in the country.
|
 |
 |
Following the 1998 Cruise, the rapid expansion of my
dance studio took every ounce of energy to keep up.
I am sorry to say, but my marriage fell apart in the
process. On Christmas Eve, 2000, my wife asked for
a divorce. There was no scandal, just two people
headed in different directions. Shortly after my
divorce, Gareld asked when I was going to organize
another cruise trip. Hmm. That sounded like a
pretty good idea. The studio could use an
adventure, so I decided to try again.
The
response was overwhelming. Our 2001 Dance Cruise
had 101 guests.
One of
them was a lady named Marla.
|
 |
Our
August 2001 trip was supposed to go to Cancun, but a
hurricane diverted us to Vera Cruise. I had been in
a very foul mood ever since my marriage fell apart.
Over the past eight months, I had not come close to
finding a girlfriend. Furthermore, I could not
think of anyone interested in seeing me. I hoped to
change that on this trip. There were 60 women on
board, but only 40 men. With those odds, I thought
I might meet someone at our 'Welcome Aboard'
Cocktail Party. Guess what? The three women I had
my eye on had already chosen someone else before the
trip began. I was out of luck.
Marla
had a boyfriend. They had been together for six
years. Marla liked to dance, but her boyfriend
didn't. When her girlfriend Sherry said she needed
a roommate, Marla said okay. Marla was not looking
for a boyfriend, but Sherry was. There was a dance
party at midnight and Sherry did not want to go up
there alone. Marla reluctantly promised to
accompany her for reassurance. The moment Sherry
was asked to dance, Marla headed for the exit. By
coincidence, that was when I walked in. I had been
attracted to Marla back at the studio, but kept my
distance because I knew she had a steady boyfriend.
At this
very moment, the only woman I had shown interest in
since my divorce had been placed right before me.
As good omens go, it doesn't get better than this.
I wasted no time uttering the five magic words. "Would
you like to dance?" Marla said yes.
Any man
who learns to dance has a chance. Or so they say.
Unfortunately, I could not detect any particular
interest on Marla's part. That is why after two
songs I assumed Marla wanted to go back to her
cabin. The odds were slim, but I had to try. Taking
a deep breath, I said, "Marla, would you consider
sharing a margarita with me?"
When
Marla said yes, I said a gratified thank you to the
Universe. After
an hour of talking and dancing, I
noticed Marla had begun to take an unexpected
interest in me. Now it was time to take the biggest
chance of all. "Marla, I am really enjoying
our conversation. Would you consider joining me up
on the top deck?"
My heart
leapt for joy when she said yes. When we arrived, the
wind was very brisk, almost howling. We
found lounge chairs at
the back of the ship. It
was an isolated area; not a soul bothered us. As
our ship sailed past the distant outskirts of the
hurricane, we caught a glimpse of the storm's
immense power. The full moon, cloudy skies, and
restless ocean made for quite the panoramic
spectacle. The waves were turbulent. They made
huge splashes as they crashed against the ship. Overhead
loomed huge, ominous rain clouds. It
was not raining here, but the moonlight revealed
heavy squalls off in the distance. Shrouded
by wind-blown clouds, the
moon played
peekaboo all night long.
It was exciting to have a hurricane on the
horizon. All
the
necessary elements were in place for an Enchanted
Evening.
There are rumors that no
girl's heart is safe at sea. The same could be said
for me. That full moon and those storm winds
had quite an effect. That was
the night Marla and I fell in love. We have
never been apart since.
I have included the story of
how I met Marla for a special reason. These cruise
trips connected both Marla and myself to Gareld.
His unwavering support of my dance program and
Marla's cruise program was a source of inspiration.
Gareld once said in an off-hand way that these
cruise trips had an energy to them that went well
beyond the norm. To me, Gareld was suggesting there
was a hidden reason why Marla and I were unusually
good at making these trips special. As Mark Twain
once said, the two most important days of your life
are the day you are born and the day you find out
why.
|
 |
2002, Key West, Cayman, Cozumel
|
Very few
people know this, but the Cruise Industry did not
come to Galveston until the tail end of 2000. A
wealthy Texas oilman named George Mitchell grew up
in Galveston. When Galveston fell into serious
economic depression in the Seventies, Mitchell
decided to see what he could to do to help his
hometown. Although Galveston possessed the finest
seaport in the Gulf of Mexico, mostly it sat idle.
Why? Following the devastating Galveston hurricane
of 1900, Houston had built a Ship Channel to seize
the shipping industry. Seeing this fine port go to
waste, Mitchell began a 20-year campaign to bring
the cruise industry to Texas. Although it took a
long time for Mitchell's efforts to pay off, this
proved to be a very shrewd move.
In 2026
Galveston is now the 4th busiest cruise port in
North America. It trails only the well-established
Florida ports at Canaveral, Miami, and the
Everglades. Drawing over 1.5 million passengers
annually, Galveston ranks in the Top 10 globally.
|
 |
It helps
that Houston, soon to be America's third largest
city, is just down the street from Galveston's
cruise ships. Has there ever been a more convenient
way to take a vacation?
I was
fortunate to schedule our wildly successful 2001
trip just a few months after the first Galveston
cruise ship arrived. We got in on the ground
floor. Given how much fun we had in 2001, Marla
suggested we do it again in 2002. However, she
suggested we make a change. What is that, I asked.
Marla thought a longer trip on a superior ship made
sense. In other words, 'Upgrade'. Excellent
idea. Despite the higher price, we came very close
to taking another group of 100.
I had
used a travel agency to book the 1998, 2001 and 2002
trips. One night Marla asked what I got in return.
A free cabin, but nothing else. We both looked at
each other. I don't know if it was mental telepathy
or what, but I suddenly asked Marla if she would
ever consider becoming a travel advisor.
Marla
gave me a curious smile. "I would have preferred
you ask me to marry you first, but yes, I would like
to do that. I have a daughter in college and, as
you know, college ain't cheap."
The
timing could not have been more perfect. To begin
with, the marriage of cruise trips and my dance
studio was a union made in heaven. The idea of
scheduling an annual SSQQ dance cruise was a
brilliant move. Singles could dance all night and
flirt all day in the hot tub. Couples could dance
all night and enjoy a romantic vacation together.
With a smile, I noticed our famous 'Slow Dance
leads to Romance' magic was just as potent at
sea as it was on land. Every trip had its love
affairs. Some even led to marriage. Marla and I
were the perfect example.
Our
Caribbean trips were so popular, people persuaded
Marla to offer destination trips to places like
Alaska, Hawaii and New England. From there she
branched out to Italy, Greece, and Spain. In time
we made it all the way to Australia, New Zealand and
Tahiti. Why stop there? Marla took us on European
river cruises down the Danube, Rhine, and Rhone.
Over a period of 20 years, Marla took our group
around the world on 50 cruise trips. In my opinion,
Marla was the best there's ever been.
|
Gareld
and Virginia skipped our 2002 cruise, but rejoined
us for the 2003 Dance Cruise. Including 1998 and
2001, this would be their third cruise with us.
Having
our very own 'in-house travel agent' worked
wonders for our 2003 Caribbean dance cruise. People
had a lot of questions. Marla patiently answered
every one of them. Due to her competence, a lot of
people signed up because they trusted her.
The 2003
trip was first cruise that Marla organized on her
own. She was phenomenal. We had 144 passengers for
a four-day trip Caribbean trip over the July 4th
Holiday.
There
was only one problem. The ship was a derelict.
Marla vowed never to let that happen again.
|
 |
2004, Hurricane Alley (Jamaica, Cayman, Cozumel)
|
 |
The 2004
SSQQ Dance Cruise was special for several reasons.
Marla and I got married on board the Rhapsody. We
had a terrific group, 125. Gareld and Virginia were
back for their 4th trip.
Here is
what was cool. Now that our dance cruise had turned
into a tradition, many of the people from the 2003
trip returned for the 2004 trip. Marla's expertise
had a lot to do with that.
Best of
all, this was the trip when a 'Group Spirit'
began to emerge. The singles started to dance with
the married people. The married people danced with
the singles. Right before our eyes, we were turning
into a family.
|
 |
 |
The 2005
Dance Cruise was kind of a downer.
We had
130 people signed up to go, but only 85 got on
board. Uh oh. What went wrong?
A
hurricane named Rita had Houston in its bulls-eye
for an entire week. Given that Rita was supposed be
just as deadly as Hurricane Katrina, panic spread.
Half the city tried to get out of town. This
resulted in the biggest traffic jam in U.S.
history.
The
people who stayed behind got lucky when Rita changed
direction at the last minute.
Our trip
was delayed by a day, but at least some of us got to
enjoy this year's trip.
That
included Gareld and Virginia. This was their 5th
trip.
|
 |
2006, Hurricane Alley (Jamaica, Cayman, Cozumel)
|
 |
2006 was
much better. This was our comeback trip after the
2005 Rita headaches. We had a group of 136. As
usual, we floated down Hurricane Alley... Jamaica,
Cayman, and Cozumel. These islands line up like
pins in a bowling alley whenever a hurricane hits
the Caribbean.
One day
I asked Gareld why the trees in Cozumel were so
short. He replied, "The tall ones get knocked
down first."
Ouch.
Why didn't I think of that?
This was
Gareld and Virginia's 6th trip.
|
 |
 |
Marla's
2006 trip was so successful that people asked if she
would consider trips to distant locations in
addition to the Caribbean. Marla thought that was a
great idea, so she booked our 2007 trip to Hawaii.
The
turnout was impressive. Despite the higher cost, we
had 79 passengers.
Gareld
and Virginia forgot their bathing suits, but learned
how to surf anyway.
And
Gareld made some new friends.
|
 |
 |
Marla's
cruise program was so popular, she was now offering
two trips per year. One was our annual dance
cruise, the other was a Destination cruise.
Gareld
and Virginia went on both 2007 trips. In addition
to Hawaii, they hopped aboard for another trip to
Hurricane Alley. This was their 8th trip with us.
We had
125 guests on board.
|
 |
Gareld
and Virginia were back for another year in 2008.
This one was special. Why? Gareld was about to
turn 80 during the trip.
Are you
are a fan of Astrology? Born August 24, Gareld was
on the Leo-Virgo cusp. Leo is ruled by the Sun.
From this, Gareld was meant to be benevolent, loyal,
and charming. Hmm. I can see that in him. Virgo
is ruled by Mercury. From this, Gareld was meant to
be analytical, precise, and down to earth. I can
see that in him too. He was an excellent engineer.
Famous
people born on this date include Sean Connery. I
can see the comparison. I wouldn't call him a
lady-killer, but the ladies were definitely drawn to
Gareld. I once asked what was his secret.
"Well,
Rick, it's like old joke goes. Women like men who
wear earrings. It shows they can feel the pain
women suffer to look good. Plus it means they are
fond of jewelry. I'm not ready for that, so I wear
dresses when I dance instead. Works like a charm."
You
assume I am kidding, but I am not. I cannot begin
to count the number of times Gareld showed up for a
dance party wearing his beloved kilt.
By the
way, Gareld was not above a naughty joke now and
then.
"Rick,
how can you tell which clan a Scotsman belongs to?
A woman reaches underneath to test the apparatus.
If it weighs a quarter pound, he's a MacDonald."
Curious,
I replied, "How much does yours weigh?"
Gareld
smiled. "You'll have to ask Virginia."
|
 |
Gareld and I had a lot in common. In addition to
dancing, I love Crossword puzzles. So did Gareld.
I love Halloween Parties. So did Gareld. Jigsaw
Puzzles are a passion of mine. Likewise for
Gareld. Another passion is chess. I remember
playing chess with Gareld in an airport.
Fortunately the plane took off before he could beat
me. Something else we had in common was an
appreciation for dirty jokes. Over the years,
Gareld sent me some zingers. I will share my
favorite. It's pretty naughty, so feel free to skip
past if you wish.
DRINKING IN AN
IRISH PUB
A good Irish man, John O'Reilly, met regularly
with his toastmasters club. One evening they
were hitting the Guinness Stout at The Brazen
Head, a famous Dublin bar. Tonight they held a
contest as to who could make the best toast
about their wife.
John O'Reilly hoisted his beer. "Here's to
spending the rest of me life, seeking bliss
between the legs of me wife!"
The crowd roared. Everyone agreed John's quip
deserved the prize for best toast of the night.
Then everyone ordered another round and raised
their glasses to praise the winner.
Feeling a little tipsy, it was pretty late when
John got home. His wife Mary was waiting up for
him.
Seeing her, John exclaimed, "Guess what,
Mary? I won the prize for best toast of the
night."
Mary was proud. "Aye, husband,
congratulations. And what be your toast, may I
ask?"
John hesitated, then replied, "Here's to
spending the rest of me life sitting in church
alongside me wife."
Mary was pleased. "Oh, John, that is very
sweet! Thank you for saying that!"
The next day Mary ran into Michael on a Dublin
street corner. Michael, a notorious
troublemaker, was one of John's toasting
buddies. Michael chuckled leeringly. "Well,
fair Mary, did you know John won the prize the
other night with a toast about you?"
Mary smiled. "Aye, that I do! And I must
say I was a wee bit surprised! You know, John's
only been there twice. Once he fell asleep and
the other time I had to pull him by the ears to
make him come!"
|
GARELD'S 80th
BIRTHDAY PARTY
|
 |
Rick's Note:
Phyllis
Porter did a fabulous job of celebrating Gareld's
80th Birthday. Always the competitive one, I was
not willing to be outdone by Phyllis Troublemaker.
Planning ahead, I made sure to bring along an entire
box of colorful plastic leis. Typically we used
these leis to decorate for our annual Hawaiian Beach
Party.
Marla
always made sure to spend some of her commission to
pay for a 'Welcome Aboard Party' on the first
night of trip. She would reserve the dance lounge
for a private party which included an hour and a
half of free drinks. The 2008 party was
particularly festive. Towards the end, everyone was
drunk as a skunk and feeling kind of frisky. It was
time to spring my big surprise.
Knowing
Gareld's fondness for ribald humor, I wanted to stir
up a little trouble of my own. I knew exactly which
ladies in the group shared a wicked sense of humor
similar to mine. I secretly coached Gareld's
admirers to give him a big smooch, then add a sly
reference to their fondest hope that he would get
lei'd tonight. Then I announced to the audience
that Gareld would receive a MINIMUM of 80 kisses,
one for each birthday.
My
sneaky trick worked to perfection. I do
not know exactly what the various ladies said, but
Gareld turned a shade of pink quite similar to the
colorful wreaths that adorned his neck.
|
When we got back on shore, I wrote a
heavily-sanitized version of the event for the SSQQ
Newsletter. Please note that I misspelled his name
for the entire article. Gareld was kind enough not
to fuss, but I am glad his daughter later corrected
me. Here is the story.
|
 |
I think
the time has come to reveal that Gareld loved
wearing dresses in public.
In 2009,
one year later Gareld and Virginia were back for
their 11th trip with us. Gareld celebrated by
bringing his beloved kilt along.
I offer
as photographic evidence the picture below.
|
 |
Marla's
cruise program hit its all-time high on our 2010
Cruise to the Bahamas. We had 190 Guests on board.
As far I was concerned, Marla was a wizard. Her
attention to detail and reputation for integrity was
the reason so many people trusted her.
This was
Gareld and Virginia's 12th trip with us. Thank
goodness he left his kilt at home. Why? I was
afraid he might ask me to dance.
What if
he made me do the girl's part? With my luck, no
doubt someone would snap a picture and put it on the
Internet.
Incidentally, I'm just kidding. If Gareld asked me
to dance, I probably would have said yes.
|
 |
 |
Our 2011 Dance Cruise was back to Hurricane
Alley: Jamaica, Cayman, and Cozumel. This
was Gareld and Virginia's 13th trip with
us. He celebrated by bringing his beloved
kilt along.
Previously I claimed that Gareld was an
absolute rock star with the ladies at SSQQ.
Over the years, the guy had turned into a
serious babe magnet.
What was his secret? I could be wrong, but
I think go crazy over any man who is willing
to wear a dress in public.
To make my point, please read the story
below.
|
|
GARELD AND VIRGINIA
Story from the 2011 Conquest Trip
Speaking of
great guys, my buddy Gareld continued to amaze me on
this trip. Despite neck problems that had to hurt,
Gareld danced every song every night with every
woman.
I think Gareld
is 83 now. He still dances more than I do! As I
lay on the couch in exhaustion after a couple
dances, I would look up and there's Gareld doing his
Energizer Bunny impression. I would sit and stare
in utter amazement at the man's boundless energy.
How does he do it? Whatever Fountain of Youth he's
drinking from, I wish he would share some of it.
Gareld is my
hero. When I get to be his age, I want to be just
as smart and just as active as Gareld is now. I
have had these thoughts now for a long time. What
surprised me is that during the trip on different
occasions men would come and sit down next to me as
I watched Gareld in action. Some of them didn't
even know who he was. You know what they said?
"When I am that old, I hope I can be as
good as that guy!"
In other words,
they were all thinking the same thing I was - what a
blessing it would be to have our wits, our energy,
and our friends with us at that age. Gareld is a
role model for all of us men.
Another thing I
admire Gareld for is his loyalty to his lovely wife
Virginia. Recently she has been
diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Thankfully, Gerald
is always at her side with love and patience. I
cannot begin to explain how profoundly impressed I
am by Gareld's constant decency.
I would be
tempted to say I admire Gareld more than any guy I
know except for one thing. The guy wears
dresses! He doesn't just
wear dresses; he wears them in public! Actually,
let me be frank. Gareld flaunts it!!
How can Gareld
be a Man's Man
if he wears dresses in public? I realize this is
just my own insecurity speaking. If anything, I
should be more accepting of Gareld's desire
to embrace his Scottish heritage. It bothers
me that I can't be a bigger person on this issue.
But, seriously, how can a guy who wears dresses in
public be a "Real Man"? (you
all realize I am teasing, correct?)
This trip did
not do my hang-ups about what it means to be a man
any favors. When I went to pick up our Group
Photograph, I noticed that our women had posed
for a separate group photograph of their own. I
picked up the picture. There were 60 women in
stunning formal gowns all smiling up at the
photographer. To my dismay, lo and behold, there
was Gareld in the very middle of the picture, his
Scottish kilt dress in prominent display with his
knobby white knees showing. OMG!
When I
saw the picture, at first my masculinity issues
came rushing to the surface. And
then out of nowhere I had
a sudden thought that made me smile. This
guy had a virtual harem out there! Seriously,
Gareld had more women than an Arab Sheik!!
There
had to be secret. What could it be? Aha. It had
to be the dress. What else could it be?
Perhaps this was
the discovery I had been looking for. I had always
wondered where Gareld got his uncanny popularity
with women. Now I had a clue. That
must be it. The secret of Gareld's popularity with
women had to be the dress.
On the next
trip, I think I will wear a dress to Formal Night.
Gareld is my role model. If wearing a dress will
make me as popular with women as he is, then point me to the
nearest "Big Girl" store. What
do you think my best color is? Red
is out. I am too shy. How about black? That might
be right for me. Black dresses on the right women
are sexy. And maybe the dark colors will disguise
my girth a bit. If a
dress works for Gareld, surely it will work
for me too. I want women to look at me with the
same admiration they have when
they look at Gareld.
I am grateful to
Gareld for showing me the way to become A Better
Man.
|
|
 |
|
 |
Marla's 2012 Cruise to the Caribbean was her second
largest to date. We had 183 guests.
I
especially liked the awesome picture of Gareld's
daughter Deborah and her husband Karl Rorabacher.
Like Gareld and Virginia, Karl and Deborah met at
SSQQ dance studio.
Unfortunately there was a developing schism in the
group that cast a dark spell. Several members
wanted to begin organizing their own cruise trips
next year, so they went their own way. Consequently
the group spirit that once reigned supreme was
somewhat diminished.
This
proved to be Virginia's last cruise with us. Once
she developed Alzheimer's, cruise trips were no
longer important.
|
2014,
Halloween Cruise to Hurricane Alley
|
 |
In 2014,
Marla got creative. She booked a trip at Halloween
and reserved the dance lounge for a most excellent
Halloween Party.
We had a
nice turnout with 145 guests. They were relieved to
know that Dracula's powers did not extend to sea.
Trust me, they were not happy when I pointed out
that Dracula had sailed from Romania to England on a
boat.
Since
Virginia was no longer able to travel, Deborah was
kind enough to accompany her father on Gareld's 15th
trip.
|
 |
2016,
Halloween Cruise to Roatan, Belize, and Cozumel
|
 |
Gareld
16th cruise trip with Marla took place in 2016. It
would prove to be his final trip with us.
Similar
to 2014, this was another Halloween Cruise. Gareld
was still dancing up a storm. Gareld was 88 years
old at the time.
I am
sorry to say this was the last time I ever saw
Gareld. Although our paths did not cross again, I
will never forget this kind, decent man who touched
the lives of so many people in a positive way.
I feel
very fortunate to have known Gareld. And, as the
pictures, there are a lot of people who feel the
same way. Gareld was one of a kind, a person who
made the world a better place.
Thank
you for reading,
Rick Archer
May, 2026
|
 |
|
|
