In the summer of 1952, a young Gene Schroeder, fresh off his first season with the Chicago Bears, found himself at a party in Washington D.C. He was “kind of famous” among the partygoers for his sports ability by then, Carole Schroeder, his eldest daughter, told the Chicago Sun-Times.
There he met his future wife, Doris Richey. They fell in love, and married only months later. Their connection laid the foundation for much of his life.
When later asked how he managed to sustain a long and healthy life, he’d always give the same answer: “Sixty wonderful marriage years to a wonderful woman and a wonderful family.