Music icon Pat Boone and his wife, Shirley, enjoyed 65 years of marriage. But their relationship wasn’t easy. However, their faith in God helped them not to end up as another divorced couple, as is the Hollywood norm. After her demise, he believes they will be together and looks forward to their reunion.
Singer and actor Pat Boone stole many hearts with numerous hits like the blockbuster “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “State Affair.” Yet his prowess was not limited to films alone. He also made a name for himself with his music, releasing hit songs such as “The Love Letters in the Sand.”
His inspiration to write such heartwarming music came from his wife, Shirley Jones, who he fell in love with when they met at 16. Boone was on his high school basketball team, and Shirley was a new transfer student.
Shirley Boone, Pat Boone promotional photo for the ABC tv special ‘Pat Boone and Family Easter Special’ circa 1979 | Source: Getty Images
He recalls seeing his coach speaking to this beautiful girl. He asked his coach to introduce them, and an immediate mutual attraction followed. Soon after, they started dating.
However, the singer would reveal that they did not kiss for the first nine months as he did not want their relationship to be superficial — it was true love! The first threat of separation came when Shirley’s family needed to move away, but Boone fought for his love.
He realized he would lose her and decided it was the right time to ask her father, country legend Red Foley, for her hand. With tears in his eyes, Foley asked Boone:
“Will you take care of my girl?”
Shirley Boone, Pat Boone appearing on the ABC tv special ‘Pat Boone and Family Thanksgiving Special’ circa 1978 | Source: Getty Images
Boone said he would and recalls tears falling from Foley’s eyes because the plan had been to take his daughter with him all along, but now he would leave her behind. The lovebirds finally married at 19.
A MARRIAGE THAT LASTED A LIFETIME
Shirley and Boone’s marriage was unlike any other, and while they faced marital challenges like anyone else, they chose to make it work. They remained together for 65 years until Shirley’s passing in 2019.
In November 1953, the two eloped, settling in Teaneck, New Jersey, where they became parents to four girls in five years. They supported each other through their respective focus areas, with Boone working his way through rigorous Columbia University and Shirley raising their girls.
Singer Pat Boone (R) and his wife Shirley Boone attend a surprise party for Larry King’s 80th Birthday at Dodger Stadium on November 15, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
They would eventually move to Beverly Hills together, where they lived most of their lives, watching their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren grow up. Boone would say of his beloved wife:
“The thing that would most fulfill her was to be a good wife, and mother, and grandmother and to create happy homes.”
Even as Boone became a household name for his music, Shirley stepped up to become a best-selling author, humanitarian, TV hostess, and recording artist. The pair kept their marriage alive by taking several “honeymoons” together on ocean voyages.