By Verna Davis

For The Herald Bulletin

ANDERSON — They look like a simple pair of shoes. Basic black dress style, highly polished but slightly worn.

To Dick Gill of Anderson and his family, however, the 53-year-old Thom McAn’s are known as “The Wedding Shoes.”

The first time he wore the size-10 shoes was on June 9, 1957, when he married Maryln Wilson, his high school sweetheart.

“I wasn’t looking for fancy shoes, just something good enough to wear with my black pants and white dinner jacket.”

Fifty-plus years later, while sitting across the table from him, Maryln laughed.

“He was probably looking for the cheapest pair of shoes he thought he could get by with.”

Dick sheepishly grinned. “She’s probably right.”

Maryln, 72, grinned back and reached for his hand. “I usually am.”

Dick, 74, with stately white hair looks rather dignified, wearing gray slacks, a sports coat and sweater vest. He acknowledges his extended family looks to him as a sort of patriarch.

But he’s uncomfortable with that role, thinking it makes him out to be more than merely the oldest living male family member.

“I’m not perfect, and I don’t want anyone to think I am. Still, I know my family looks up to me.”

A pensive look crossed his face as he pointed to the wedding shoes on his feet. His nieces and nephews, just before their own weddings, asked, “You’re going to wear the wedding shoes to my wedding, aren’t you, Uncle Dick?”

He has worn them to 18 weddings including those of daughter Rae Jean Powell and son Rick Gill, as well as those of second generations of nieces and nephews.



Confronted by death

The wedding shoes didn’t start out being that special. Dick wore them to his own wedding, and then just kept them for “good.”

But a bad stretch came in the winter of 1985. Dick had to go to Texas for a long, complicated and risky surgery for an aortic aneurysm.

“But throughout it all, I was never afraid to die. I thought I might die, but I wasn’t afraid.” He credits that confidence to his belief that God was — and would continue to be — in control.

“After the surgery, I thought about all the people I would like to apologize to.” Dick’s eyes filled with tears as he confessed he wished he had been kinder to his grandmother.

Maryln squeezed his hand. “He was a good man before the surgery, but after the surgery his goodness intensified.”

The couple attends Frankton Christian Church.

He said, “I’m so blessed. I have so much to be thankful for. Why should I complain when so many others are worse off than I am?”

Dick’s daughter, Rae Jean Powell, said her father is unique due to his faith.

“My brother Scott and I always knew where we would be on any Sunday morning: in church. Dad wouldn’t have had it any other way,” she said.

“Mom has told on Dad a few times, but I know my father is a good man. He’s such a delight and our family really enjoys having him and Mom around.”

Maryln Gill feels their 53-year marriage is more influential to the family than Dick’s wedding shoes.

“Our kids and grandkids have watched us over the years. They’ve seen our laughter and our love. They’ve seen us argue and disagree, but they know that we love and respect each other through it all.”



Legend to his family

So, Dick Gill keeps wearing his shoes to weddings.

Dick and his shoes have become such a legend in the family that at the wedding of his grandson, pictures were taken of Dick’s shoes being held by the bride and groom, Christopher and Brea Powell.

Wistfully, Dick said, “Of all the weddings I’ve worn these shoes to, there’s never yet been a divorce. I pray there never will be.”

Dick Gill said if he could tell all young people everywhere just one thing before they married it would be: “Don’t give up. Don’t let divorce be an option. Don’t throw your marriage away because you disagree. Talk about it. Work it out. Don’t be in a hurry to find quick solutions to your problems. Give your love and your marriage a chance.”

Dick Gill’s wedding shoes are shined and in his closet, waiting for the next family wedding.

No matter whether he wears ordinary shoes or special shoes, Dick Gill’s walk is the same: he faithfully chooses to do good.