Couple, both 100, die just hours apart after being married for 79 years

An elderly couple died within hours of each other after almost almost eight decades of marriage.

June and Hubert Malicote, both aged 100, from Ohio were married for 79 years and their love story came to an end last week.

Their son Sam, 76, said his mother became gravely ill the day after Thanksgiving and was placed in end of life care at Hospice of Hamilton in Ohio, he told Dayton Daily News.

Watching his wife’s health deteriorate was emotionally hard for Hubert, who ‘fell apart’ and was admitted to the same care centre soon after.

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The couple were together until the very end as they shared a room in the hospice where they remained unconscious for five days.

Hubert died on 30 November at around 9pm and according to Sam his death was caused by a ‘broken heart’.

Around 20 hours later, on 1 December at around 6pm, June also passed away.

“They went out together,” Sam shared. "I feel sad, but I shouldn’t. Who can expect to live a life like that?

“They lived a long, happy life together and they were devoted to God and the family.”

Both June and Hubert grew up in Kentucky and they met at a church service in 1941. The lifelong lovebirds exchanged vows one year later aged 20 when Hubert was at home on leave from the US Navy.

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The couple settled in Hamilton, Ohio where Hubert began working at the financial and retail technology company Diebold Inc while June was a stay-at-home mum.

They were the proud parents of three children who have then seven grandchildren and 11-great-grandchildren.

June and Hubert’s love story has made the headlines in the past. When they celebrated their milestone 79^th wedding anniversary in June, the couple spoke with Today Parents to share how they managed to make their relationship last.

Family photo

Hubert said they never got into a serious argument but acknowledged that life does have its problems sometimes.

The devoted husband said he couldn’t imagine living life without June, with whom he survived everything from the Great Depression to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We didn’t go through life without problems, but we would never do anything to hurt each other,' he said.

“If there’s controversy, you might have to walk away for a couple minutes. Then you come back in and change the subject or you work it out.”