Respect, love and compromise. For Charlotte and Roger Richard, these three little words are crucial to sustaining a long-term marriage --- 61 years.

The Richards were among five couples married 60 or more years honored at this year's World Marriage Day celebration on Feb. 8 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, which was presided over by Cardinal Roger Mahony.

The annual event celebrates the life-long commitment of married couples and honors the beauty of their faithfulness, sacrifice and joy in daily, married life. Other longtime married couples included Mr. & Mrs. Jose Arroyo (72 years), Mr. & Mrs. Donald Prideaux (61 years), Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Brewster (61 years) and Mr. & Mrs. Robert Perez (61 years).

The Richards are an example of a marriage well lived. Longtime members of St. Robert Bellarmine Church in Burbank the Richards have two children: Roger, 59, a college professor in Indiana; and Michele, 49, a teacher of mentally handicapped children in northern California. They have one granddaughter, Rachel 20, who lives in northern California.

Making a marriage last is not as complicated as people today claim, the Richards say. After mutual attraction, it just takes basic respect and compromise.

Love at first sight
The year was 1942 and the country was at war --- a war that brought the Richards together and then tore them apart.

Both Charlotte and Roger were in Connecticut working at a factory producing war materials --- Charlotte in the office and Roger as a machinist. Roger was the new guy in town and he immediately noticed "a few nice looking girls in the front office."

But Roger had a girl he was getting serious about back home in New Hampshire so he kept his mind on his work. And Charlotte had a boyfriend so she paid him little attention.

The Richards finally met when a group of co-workers went out bowling one evening. Charlotte says she wasn't so impressed by Roger, but Roger says the attraction was mutual that night.

A group of guys at the factory had a bet on who was going to get the first date so Roger told them "to get their money together" because it was going to be him.

"So I asked Charlotte out," he recalled, "and she said yes. And from then on, that was it."

They've been together ever since.

The Richards were married on Dec. 12, 1942 on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, after eight months of courtship.

But by February, Roger had received his draft papers and was shipped off to war. Their first child was born while Richard was away. He managed to get leave and make it home the day after his son, Roger, was born and he didn't see his wife or son again for two years.

"When he came home I told our son, 'Here's your Daddy,' and he said to him 'You're not my daddy, my daddy is in that picture.' He just knew his father from the photo, not as a real person," said Charlotte.

"It took some time to convince him I was actually his father," said Roger through laughter.

It was five years before Roger re-joined the family permanently, and both say their love and faith in each other never wavered.

"We missed each other an awful lot. She wrote me every day and I hardly wrote back. I didn't care much for letter writing in those days," said Roger. "But the main thing is love and respect. Marriage is a 60-40 proposition on both sides. You always have to do more than you think you do."

After the war, the Richards moved to California and later had their second child.

Having faith
Both Charlotte and Roger grew up in families of strong faith and continued this tradition in their marriage. Charlotte was Lutheran growing up but converted to Catholicism when she married Roger.

Roger's family was so devout that his older sister, who is 96, became a nun and his 91-year-old brother was headed for the priesthood until he became ill and had to leave seminary. Roger was also set on the priesthood and attended seminary. But he said he realized as a young man that this wasn't his vocation.

"Fortunately I found this out before I finished," he said.

"And it wasn't because of me," piped up Charlotte.

"No," said Roger. "It wasn't the girls that changed my mind. I knew my calling was elsewhere."

This lively exchange personified the spirit and connection between the Richards. After 61 years, they obviously still enjoy each other's company and thrive on the love that they share.

At 82 years of age, they are as active and vibrant as a much younger couple. They travel frequently and are very active in their parish's activities and Roger has been a very active member of the Hollywood chapter of the Knights of Columbus since 1969, holding the office of Grand Knight four times.

The Richards say that a lot of younger couples forget the important part their faith plays in a marriage.

"A lot of young people don't go to church anymore and that's a problem," said Charlotte. "They don't seem to know how to bend and compromise to get through the more difficult times."

Being a faithful Catholic has "helped us have a lot of respect for each other," said Roger. "We pray for each other and help each other. We have had our disagreements but we respect each other's wishes."

The Richards have lived a good life, they say, and for that they are grateful.

"It's been a joyride," said Roger.