AS teachers for more than four decades, Durban North residents Donald and Charleen Butt have given back through a profession they love and still practise.
While that in itself is cause for celebration, it is also the couple’s love for each other that needs to be celebrated.
That is because, on Thursday, December 8, they celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
The couple, who were married at St Thomas’ Anglican Church in 1972, are planning to renew their vows at St Martin’s Anglican Church, followed by a family tea.
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Donald, who taught at various schools across the province, including George Campbell and Golden Hours, recalls meeting his wife in a school in Eshowe where they both ended up teaching.
“In those days, newly qualified teachers were sent anywhere in the province, and fortunately, Charleen was appointed to the school where I taught in Eshowe. I remember the day she came in to see the headmaster about accommodation; it must be about 51 years to the day since I first saw her. The deputy principal came into my class and said to me, ‘Come and see this chick in the headmaster’s office’. I went along, and when I saw her, I told him, ‘That’s the girl I’m going to marry,’ to which he gleefully replied, ‘Bad luck, she has a boyfriend’.
“It was a blessing and a curse that I worked with a team of practical jokers because one of the teachers then asked her out for me and said I was too shy to ask myself. So, he simply said, ‘You are taking her out on a date on Saturday night’. It was a Tuesday at this point, and I immediately went to Charleen and explained it was a joke, but I asked if she still wanted to go. Thankfully, she said yes, and from there, we have been blessed ever since. Now, here we are, 50 years later,” he said.
When asked for the secret to their longevity, Charleen said their strong faith has been a pillar of their relationship.
“We say our prayers together every night, and we read scriptures between us. We also play a card game called Patience and have done so every night since we got married. We live a very simple life, but our belief systems are the same, and we share a passion for teaching and giving back. I think that is what has kept us going. We are both very blessed to hear from and meet some of our former learners and hear their stories of success. I taught and was principal at Livingstone Primary School, and it was one of my greatest joys,” she said.
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The couple added they also enjoy pastimes apart like sport and reading, but together, they love spending time with their family, visiting wildlife reserves and teaching.
The Butts are blessed with three children and six beautiful grandchildren.
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