In an age of fleeting connections and digital noise, the love story of Carol Sillick and Ed Friedman feels timeless and classic. The only modern thing about it is how it all began — with a click of the mouse.
Carol and Ed had both lost their spouses about six years ago. Carol moved from Venice, Florida, to Nocatee to be closer to her son and daughter. Ed was already living in Keystone Heights, Florida.
Carol loved being closer to her children once again and relished the time spent with them. Her son, David Sillick, was the publisher of the Jacksonville Business Journal for 20 years and worked 30 years with the company. Currently, he operates Sillick, Inc. Consulting and loves nothing more than taking his mom out to lunch or dinner.
Carol’s daughter, Cheryl, recently retired from her position of 40 years with American Express. She and her mom attended water aerobics classes together, shopped and took nice long walks on Ponte Vedra Beach.
But Carol found she was still lonely and missed the companionship of a courtly gentleman. With a little encouragement from a younger friend, Carol joined an online dating site. The timing was not perfect. This was just when COVID hit, which made meeting in person and dating challenging.
Ed’s wife had also passed away and he was on the same dating site. He saw Carol’s picture and read her profile from about the moment it went live. Ed looked at Carol’s photo often for the next few weeks. He recalls that something about Carol’s picture kept calling to him. He still remembers the pull he felt when seeing her picture, but he kept talking himself out of it.
“She is out of your league; she will never agree to go out with you” are the things he told himself. Then he gave himself a pep talk and took the plunge. He went to his computer and hit “connect.” And that is how it all began.
Carol and Ed began the “getting to know you” process first online then graduating to phone calls. They talked for hours sharing their histories, their tastes in books and food, their children and their hobbies. In short, they became best friends and knew the time was right to meet one another face to face. That first meeting led to more talking, to lunches and dinners, to meeting one another’s friends and to a quiet, comfortable and dedicated love.
According to the algorithms of those who understand these things, these two should not have been a “match.” Carol was strictly from the country club set. She had been married to a brigadier general, traveled the world and “did lunch” with the girls.
Ed, on the other hand, is a country boy and darn proud of it. To describe this handsome unassuming man with the gentlest of smiles as an overachiever would be an understatement. For most of his adult life Ed had been a general superintendent for the third largest construction company in the country. But that was just his day job. Ed also raised, showed and sold show horses. He was a good old-fashioned fast-talking auctioneer owning and running an auction gallery in Copake in upstate New York for 15 years. He has written and published two books “Horsing Around at Bear Creak” and “The Jealous Shadow” and he is currently working on his third book.
Carol had always considered herself to have an adventurous spirit. A well-traveled, sophisticated woman, she’d seen much of what the world had to offer or so she thought. But when Ed suggested they take a trip together, Carol had no idea she was about to embark on a journey unlike any she had ever taken.
You see, Ed had invited her to go camping.
Well, “camping” is the word he used — but this was not a sleeping-bag-and-tent experience. They were heading cross-country in a 40-foot Class A motor home, and what followed was an unforgettable chapter in their lives.
“I met the nicest people everywhere we camped,” Carol recalls, smiling at the memory. “We saw the country, Ed cooked great meals, we took long walks … we really had the grandest time.”
Sitting beside her, Ed beams with pride, one arm wrapped around her shoulder in a silent testament to the joy they have shared.
Since that maiden voyage, Carol and Ed have taken their love of travel to the sea. With a passion for cruising, they have sailed to Alaska, Iceland, England, Scotland, Greece, Italy and Portugal and that’s just the brief list. Next month, they’ll set off again, this time on a 17-day voyage from San Diego to Ft. Lauderdale through the Panama Canal.
But the most anticipated trip is just on the horizon. In celebration of Carol’s 90th birthday next year, the couple has booked an incredibly special cruise. This one will include both their families, children and grandchildren. Carol has two children and four grandchildren.
Ed has a daughter, Jennifer, who lives in Danville, Kentucky, two accomplished grandsons and two great-grandchildren. Ed’s son, Todd, unfortunately passed away a few years ago.
“We’re really looking forward to this trip,” Carol says, her eyes lighting up. “It’s going to be something we’ll all remember forever.”
Together, Carol and Ed do more than travel — they live fully, love deeply and remind those around them that joy and companionship know no age limits. When asked if they believe in love after a “certain age,” both nod without hesitation.
“You bet we do,” Carol says.
And Ed? “Absolutely, I do.” He smiles and says simply, “I plan to love and cherish this woman for the rest of my life.”
Clearly the feeling is mutual. Carol nods gently, her eyes fixed on the man with whom she’s built this late-in-life fairytale.
Carol and Ed are that rare, lucky couple who have found in each other not just a partner, but a true marriage of the heart. And as they continue their journey, whether it be by land or by sea, one can only wish them many more happy miles ahead.
