The funny thing about fate is that one is rarely aware of its plan until after it’s been set into motion. No example rings truer than high school friends-turned-couple and SJNY sweethearts James and Anne McCormack, both graduates of the Class of ‘89. Neither knew the other planned to attend St. Joseph’s University, New York (then St. Joseph’s College) but once the two were on campus, it only made sense for their friendship to continue to grow.
“Jim was driving to St. Joe’s and every once and a while instead of driving with my sister—who also went to St. Joe’s—I would ask him to pick me up,” Anne shared.
“She was using me,” James joked.
Between their commutes to school and hanging out within the same circle of friends, something clicked for the couple who soon realized their deeper feelings for each other. It was around the holidays when the they decided make their relationship official, coming as a shock to their mutual friends upon return from winter break.
“I don’t know. Something just changed. I’ll never forget we were holding hands and our friends were screaming ‘what’s going on? You’re supposed to be friends’,” Anne said.
Mr. and Mrs. McCormack at the 2024 SJNY Golf Classic.
As business majors, James and Anne shared many of the same classes, and enjoyed on campus activities including the University’s annual Spring Fling event.
“They used to have these Ray Boston parties in the winter with sand and a volleyball net and a guy named Ray Boston singing. They were pretty fun. Everyone wore Hawaiian shirts,” James added.
“We didn’t have all things St. Joe’s has now but those events were highlights for us,” Anne said.
According to Mr. and Mrs. McCormack, doing things as a couple—the same way they had as college students—turns out to be the key to a happy and healthy marriage as they prepare to celebrate 34 years together.
“I think it’s finding things to do together that people like,” Anne said. “It’s important having things that you like to do together that keep you engaged.”
And even though they’re not planning to attend any Spring Flings in the future, you may spot the McCormacks on the golf course, including SJNY’s Annual Golf Classic, in between Anne’s time as a teacher and Jim’s work in finance.
Their days at St. Joseph’s might be behind them, but they’ll always remember it as a place where they discovered their true feelings for one another and put them on the path to where they are today.
The Proposal: Merry and Bright at Land’s End
As told by James McCormack: “It was around Christmas time, which I guess is our lucky season. We went to dinner at Land’s End in Oakdale. They had a little gazebo out there so afterward I got on one knee and proposed. I think about both of our parents and how they were great examples of how to live a married life.”
