Pat Boone was a singer and actor who had a number of blockbusters, including the blockbuster movies “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “State Affair.” He won the hearts of many people with his work. However, his talent was not restricted to the realm of filmmaking alone. In addition, he became well-known thanks to the success of his music, which included the release of popular songs such as “The Love Letters in the Sand.”
It was his wife, Shirley Jones, who he met when he was 16, and immediately fell in love with, who served as the source of his motivation to produce such lovely songs. Shirley was a new student at Boone’s high school, and Boone was a member of the basketball team at his school.
He recalled overhearing his instructor having a conversation with this stunning woman. He urged their coach to put them in touch, and very immediately, they found that they were attracted to one another. They began going out together not long after that.
However, the singer would later disclose that they did not kiss for the first nine months of their relationship because he did not want their relationship to seem superficial since it was genuine love. When Shirley’s family wanted to move away, the first opportunity for separation presented itself, but Boone battled for his love all the way through.
He was aware that he was about to lose her and came to the conclusion that the moment had come to ask her father, the country music superstar Red Foley, for her hand in marriage. Foley questioned Boone, with tears welling up in his eyes,
“Will you look after my little child for me?”
Boone recounts that he replied he would, and that Foley’s eyes welled up with tears as he said that the intention all along had been for him to take his daughter with him, but now he would have to leave her behind. At the age of 19, the young couple tied the knot.
They ran away together in November of 1953 and eventually made their home in Teaneck, New Jersey, where they became parents to four daughters within the span of five years. They provided support for one another while pursuing their own goals, with Shirley taking care of their daughters while Boone worked his way through the difficult curriculum at Columbia University.
They would spend most of their life in Beverly Hills, California, where they raised their children, grandkids, and even great-grandchildren and saw the lives of their other family members unfold. When referring to his cherished wife, Boone would say:
“Being a wonderful wife, mother, and grandma, as well as creating happy households, was the thing that would most please her,”
Shirley moved up to become a best-selling book, philanthropist, TV hostess and recording singer at the same time that Boone was becoming a well-known personality in the music industry. Boone’s songs helped make him a household brand. The couple maintained the strength of their marriage by going on a series of “honeymoons” together across the ocean.
In spite of the fact that their marriage seemed to be the embodiment of the adage “picture perfect,” Boone admitted that this was not always the case. They were a young couple when they were married, so naturally, they had to deal with a lot of difficulties right off the bat.
They eventually succeeded in overcoming the obstacles that stood in their way. The singer who is well known for her song “April Love” said that not keeping secrets from one another is essential to the success of a young romantic relationship. Young couples, he says, should talk about their issues and not harbor resentment against one another:
“The more emotional distance you put between one other, the greater the mental and physical distance that will exist between you. Always be open and honest about your deepest motivations and aspirations, and never give up supporting one another.”
The couple’s religion was a crucial factor in the success of their marriage, which helped them remain married for a longer period of time since they stayed open in their relationship. Boone said that despite the fact that their marriage was far from ideal, the fact that they were married to such a lovely lady helped:
When asked what the secret was, Boone responded with “God,” explaining that they had made a commitment to him till the day they passed. He pondered the possibility that they might have followed the pattern of other Hollywood couples and ended up with a divorce, but that they were able to overcome the challenges they faced by maintaining their commitment to their faith, reading the Bible together, and attending church as a unit.
When the music icon’s wife’s health started to worsen, their unshakeable faith became a critical source of support for the icon’s family as well as for the family as a whole. When a friend of Pat’s inquired if they could send a call for prayer to the family, Boone advised them to do so and added the following:
“Please do! We are anticipating miraculous occurrences in order to bring glory to Jesus.”
The 11th of January, 2019, was a day filled with sorrow for the Boone family and for others all across the globe. Shirley went away after a long and difficult battle with the complications of vasculitis, which she had been afflicted with the previous year. She passed away calmly in the Beverly Hills house she lived with Boone at the time of her passing.
And even though he lamented the loss of his wife the most, the “I Almost Lost My Mind” singer is aware that he will soon be reunited with his wife since they are only apart for a little period of time. He is of the opinion that when a person passes away, they have only moved to a new location:
“She’s changed her address, which is all that’s happened, and relocated to a new house, which I anticipate moving into with her at some point in the future.” He continued, thinking back on the wonderful 65 years that they had spent their lives together.
He felt that they would soon be reunited and start a new chapter together, so he consoled himself by thinking that someday he would be with her again. This helped him cope with the agony of her loss.
After the passing of the one person he had ever loved, Boone went through an intense time during which he planned the memorial for his beloved. He now takes things one day at a time and makes an effort to avoid looking at her photographs.
Shirley’s memory will live on in the minds of many people, particularly in regard to the altruistic humanitarian work that she accomplished all over the globe. Shirley is best known for founding a Christian ministry that was worth one billion dollars.
Shirley, in collaboration with other ministers and humanitarian groups, was able to gather over one million dollars in only one week. With these funds, Shirley was able to send medication and food to Cambodia to assist with the country’s ongoing famine issue.
Their group later transformed into what is now known as Mercy Corps, which is one of the most renowned organizations in the world that works to alleviate hunger. The majority of people will remember her for her drive to give without expecting anything in return, but the actor who played Charlie in “Goodbye Charlie” has many recollections of how lovely, honest, and profound his wife was.
