First Published Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Updated Dec. 17th, 2022

Today is Tammy and My 41st Wedding Anniversary!

2022-- After 41 years, I am forever grateful to God for my answered prayer of 43 years ago!

I first met Tammy Hollar in the summer of 1977. She was only 16 (I was 22) and instantly was mesmerized by her. She was smart, pretty and pretty much consumed my mind.  It was an obvious attraction to everyone we knew, except of course to Tammy.  Although we became very good friends, that's all we were.  Maybe that's what I didn't want, but that was the case.  At the time I had a girlfriend that was very jealous of Tammy.  I guess she knew too.

The last Christmas that I ever celebrated was in 1978.  I had broken up, lonely and searching. It was in 1978 that I also came to the God I speak of today.  Tammy, out of kindness of a friend, helped me wrap my presents for others, but nothing was any different between us.  I was by this time in love with her. She had a boyfriend, and I kept my thoughts to myself.  

By 1979 we were very good friends, still the same situation, but it was the first time I prayed to God that He would open her eyes and see how I felt... She didn't.

I moved to Florida in 1980 and began my career in the paint business. 1980 was the longest year of my life. I was alone, in a strange state, learning a job I had no knowledge of, and feeling that God didn't answer my prayers.  In 1981 she came to visit me (there is a much longer story than this) and we had our first Passover together, we traveled to Jamaica, then the Bahamas (still friends only-she still had a boyfriend.  I was hoping that something would change. It didn't.  Her boyfriend flew to Florida and off they went.  

I was broken hearted, drank an entire bottle of scotch and asked God why couldn't see me as more than a friend...I was lonely and thought forgotten.

She came back in November of 1981, again as a friend. Then one night out of the blue, after I told her I felt like Jeremiah that I wasn't going to find love, she told me she loved me. It was December- we were married within days.  We married ourselves on Hollywood Beach, and a customer of mine who was a notary (in Florida notaries could marry people) legalize the marriage.  December 17, 1981, came the answer to a long-awaited prayer.  My life is for her and our children, although circumstances are not always the way you desire.  TAMCO PAINT is our business - It is my tribute to the woman I loved and loves me.

Our House in Hollywood (used in the movie "Flight of the Navigator")

Our story has been one of plenty and poverty, struggle and hard work together.  When our oldest daughter was born in May 1983, we were so poor, we had no furniture in our apartment, and because it was an "adults-only" place, we were required to leave within two weeks of the birth.  We lived in hellholes for some time. But we survived and continued to build our dream.

By God's grace, we don't want for much in this world except for the desire to get our entire family united.

Tammy and I Last Year's 40th Anniversary

Our life together started for me 43 years ago-but took Tammy a few years to to catch up!  41 Years Ago She did on Dec 17th 1981!

In Clearwater December 2021

MAY 2021.......

From 2015 (I think)

 

 

This is me at a young age, one of Tammy we have just found...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tammy when I first met her!

 

 

 

 

 

Here is Tammy just before we got married! This is a bad photo, we were in the Bahamas at the time... She had a bad sunburn!!

 

Tammy in 1980

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is Tammy and Joe Kovacs' sister in Hollywood Fl. 1981 


"Tamster" (my oldest daughter Tammy Miller) and me in 1984