Anniversary 'easy to remember'
Pair chose date without concern
When Richard Nugent and Jean Cyr decided to get married in 1992, one of the first things they did was pick a date: Feb. 29.
Leap day being what it is, today will mark just the third time in a dozen years that the Nugents have celebrated their wedding anniversary on their anniversary.
"I'll tell you the truth, I never even gave it a thought," Jean Nugent said of the implications of her choice, beyond that it was on a Saturday. "Later, I said, 'Oh, my god, it's the 29th! Don't I do everything that way? But I like it."
Her husband likes it, too. "It's an easy one to remember," he said.
Most years -- that is, non-leap years -- the West Newton couple celebrate on Feb. 28, not March 1.
"I wanted to keep it in February, because that's the month of our wedding," Jean Nugent said.
And they usually go out to eat to mark the occasion, though Jean said she would probably be more comfortable just having Chinese takeout.
After previous unsuccessful marriages, Richard and Jean say they are happy to be together, with or without an actual date on which to celebrate annually.
"Some marriages are made in heaven, but most are made down here," said Richard, 77. "This one was made in heaven. God was good to us."
"I've got a great guy," Jean Nugent said. "I've got the best guy in the whole world."
Richard retired as a Newton police lieutenant the year the couple married, after serving for 40 years on the force; Jean retired from her job as a customer service clerk for Shaw's.
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the extra day added to leap years helps keep the calendar and seasons in sync. It takes the Earth 365.2422 days to revolve around the sun; without leap years, seasons would shift about a quarter of a day each year.
The way Jean Nugent looks at it, she gets "four years of celebrating" between each anniversary.
VANESSA PARKS 