This is a year to commemorate for Diane and Loudon Fraser, who are celebrating 50 years of marriage. 

The couple met when 22-year-old Loudon Fraser of Glasgow, Scotland, crossed the Atlantic Ocean seeking fame and fortune playing soccer in Vancouver, BC. Little did he know his fortune would be in the form of a beautiful, young Seattleite named Diane Lorna Cherry.

Loudon traveled to Seattle for a soccer tournament where he met Diane. The two were married at the University Presbyterian Chapel in Seattle on Nov. 9, 1963.

The Frasers spent most of their marriage on Whidbey Island, where they raised two children, Heather and Loudy.

Loudon retired in 2005 after working for the Securities and Exchange Commission in Seattle and San Francisco for many years. Diane worked as a secretary at Langley Middle School for many years; she retired in 2002. The two have lived in the same Langley home for 45 years, surrounded by friends and family.

Anniversary celebrations began earlier this year with the couple enjoying a summer cruise along Alaska’s inner passage. They brought along their daughter, Heather, son-in-law, Willy, and two grandchildren, Isla and Aengus Dubendorf.