A Letter from

Jo Ann Simons

President and CEO, Cardinal Cushing Centers

You can be forgiven if you know Sarge, as he was affectionately called, as the man beside the woman because I think it is a role he has always cherished. Whenever I think of what love means, I remember listening to Mrs. Shriver giving a speech and looking over to Sarge, who was sitting nearby. After decades of marriage and 5 wonderful children and several grandchildren, he sat in what I could only call rapture and awe as he listened to his wife. And when she was finished, he stood up and turned to the crowd and asked, "Isn't she marvelous?" The smile that covered his face and the pride and delight in his eyes made me realize I was in the presence of something so unusual that few of us will ever experience it -- real and enduring love and devotion.

Jo Ann Simons
President and CEO, Cardinal Cushing Centers