Downey couple celebrates 70th anniversary

DOWNEY – John Matarazzo and Juanita McGhee are happily celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary. 

John and Nita were married on the 12th of March, 1948 after meeting on a blind date in the previous October. John was a corporal in the Army Air Corps stationed at Scott Air Force Base near Belleville, Ill.  After a 6-month romance, they married and made their home in Belleville. On Dec 16, 1949 they gave birth to their son, Daniel. 

John had risen to the rank of Staff Sargent when they decided to moved back to his home town of Downey, California. They lived downtown for four years until they moved into their only home where they still live in the newly-built suburbs of Downey where they gave birth to their daughter, Ruth. 

Juanita was an efficient domestic engineer and John became a Los Angeles County marshal where he retired in 28 years as a Lieutenant. 

Juanita began attending the Downey United Methodist Church where she became a member in 1950. John followed shortly after. They continue to be very active church members and together give communion to house bound church members.  

Retirement brought much travel for them and they became expert “Cruisers” aboard many ships. Today they enjoy their family which has expanded to two granddaughters, Jennifer and Trissa, and their husbands Eric and Josh along with two great grandsons, Aiden and Joshua, and a big white cat named Ally.