Double Del Couples Share their UD Love Stories
The University of Delaware holds a special place in our alumni’s hearts. That’s especially true for Double Dels, or couples who met on campus.
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, several Double Del couples shared their UD love stories, insights on how to maintain a happy relationship and how they stay part of the Blue Hen flock!
Jenna Bliss, HS18 and Ryan Bliss, AS18
Year married: 2023
Favorite UD memory: One of our first dates playing with puppies on The Green!
Favorite UD spot: Main Street! We are BIG foodies, and the restaurants on Main Street were a big part of our relationship forming.
How did UD bring you together? We met in line for Chick-fil-A in Trabant between classes! We struck up a conversation while waiting for food, sat together with some mutual friends and immediately hit it off. We had our first date on Main Street just a week later, and we’ve been together ever since.
How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day this year? As new homeowners, we are celebrating Valentine’s Day at a Mexican restaurant in our new town and doing what we love most — spending time together!
How do you keep UD part of your life? We are both still super close with our UD friends and constantly make plans to see each other and reminisce on our college years! From roommates to Greek life brothers and sisters, our lives are still surrounded by Blue Hens.
Do you have advice for other UD couples? Each year of college is a new chapter of adulthood, whether you realize it or not. You’re constantly maturing, growing and learning. That being said, you and your partner will likely both change over time. It’s easy to think, “We’ve grown apart; we’re too different from who we were,” but relationships take work! Working towards evolving your relationship as two individuals who support and love each other is much more rewarding than walking away when you both are just learning who you are as people. Allowing change and growth during your college years enhances who you are as a couple!
Kim Blunt, HS83 and Harry Blunt, AS81
Year married: 1983 (we recently celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary on January 8)
First date: Our first official date was to see a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the State Theater on Main Street.
Favorite UD memory: Some of our favorite UD memories were going to several on-campus concerts, including Pure Prairie League, James Taylor and Dan Folgerberg.
How did UD bring you together? We met on early move-in day in the fall of 1979. Harry was the Gilbert A dorm president and Kim was an RA on the second floor of Gilbert B. We were in different years and different majors, but we did take a Shakespeare class together! And Harry walked Kim across campus to McDowell Hall numerous times to finish her lab assignments. He even watched a few skills videos with her — making groaning sounds or covering his eyes at some!
What makes your Blue Hen spouse a good partner? We both believe that we each found the best partner in life. It’s not 50/50 — it’s each of us giving 100% to the relationship.
How do you keep UD part of your life? Our youngest daughter did her undergraduate and graduate work at UD, so we were able to revisit and enjoy campus life through her, like attending football games & tailgates. This past fall, Kim served as a class of 1983 reunion ambassador and enjoyed touring and seeing all the changes on campus.
Do you have advice for other UD couples? Find your shared values, celebrate your differences, and fall in love over and over again.
Mary Johnson Coyle, AS79 and Edward John Coyle, EG79, 81M
Year married: 1981
Favorite UD memory: Homecoming dances
Favorite UD spot: Pub on the Hill! That's where we met!
What makes your Blue Hen spouse a good partner?
Ed: We have had so many great shared experiences that started at UD and we have lots of Double Del friends who have stayed friends all these years!
Mary: Ed used his great undergrad and graduate degrees from UD to work for DuPont and then W.L. Gore. He has always worked very hard and has been a great provider.
How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day this year? We generally just worry about a good chocolate dessert! We actually celebrate a week earlier because, in 2013, Ed donated his kidney to a stranger in California so Mary could receive a kidney from another stranger in California! Since our surgeries were about two weeks apart (January and February), we usually celebrate on the weekend in between. We are both doing great!
How do you keep UD part of your life? One of our children graduated from UD in 2016, so we're UD parents, and we live close by, so we can take advantage of sports and programming.
Do you have advice for other UD couples? Stay active and involved with UD no matter where you live — it's worth it!
Erica, AS14, BE14, BE21M, and Kevin Walsh, AS14
These Blue Hens share their UD love story, from their unlikely meet cute as students to getting engaged on campus and then visiting their alma mater together with their son during Alumni Weekend.
Double Del Love Story: youtube.com/watch?v=_ZOOs2y1Ce8
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