By Carrie Bryne Putelo
As I put this feature together, I can’t help but think back to the night my own love story began.
It was an April evening in New York City in 1998. I was living in the city at the time and met friends for happy hour at an Irish pub called Scruffy Duffy’s. Happy hour wasn’t really my thing, but I was heading to Utica the next morning with my mom to visit my grandmother, so I stopped in before catching my bus to my parents’ home in New Jersey. Looking back, it feels a little meant to be. My grandmother had come to America from Ireland years earlier, and there I was, sitting in an Irish pub in New York City, about to meet the love of my life.
When Alex walked in, I noticed him immediately. At 6 foot 7, he was impossible to miss, and I did what anyone who knows me would expect — I walked right over. We started talking, and somehow the entire night disappeared in conversation.
One week later, we had our first date. On June 10, 2000, we were married at Tappan Hill in Westchester. This past year we celebrated 25 years of marriage, raised two children, collected more animals than we can count, and journeyed from city life to New Jersey and eventually home to the Mohawk Valley.
It has been an incredible life and love story. And I am honored to introduce the couples in this feature, whose stories remind us that love is alive, well, and thriving right here in our community.
10 YEARS!
Mary and Craig Farley
Mary and Craig Farley will celebrate 10 years of marriage this September, marking a decade of partnership rooted in family, purpose, and commitment to the Mohawk Valley.
Both grew up locally, shaped by families who valued education, entrepreneurship, and service. Mary, daughter of the late Dominick Tramacera, studied at Mohawk Valley Community College and SUNY Polytechnic Institute before opening Tramacera’s Trends Salon & Gifts across from Calabria. Craig, inspired by his mother’s career in education, earned his degree in special education and now teaches at Donovan Middle School in the Utica City School District.
Together, they share a deep commitment to giving back. Mary leads regional fundraisers and teaches courses through BOCES. Craig contributes through community events and his entertainment company, Mic Drop Entertainment, donating his time to local causes.
At the heart of their story is family. They are raising three daughters, Lila, Ava, and Grace, who are already learning the value of generosity through Saturday morning lemonade stands for charity. Their love story reflects a family built on service, generosity, and the joy of raising daughters who are already learning to give back.
Carly and Brian Mathias
Carly and Brian Mathias celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary on July 11, 2025, marking a decade of teamwork, laughter, and a love story sparked by an unexpected fire call.
They met on Labor Day in 2012, when Brian responded as a New Hartford firefighter to a carbon monoxide alarm at Carly’s family home. Once the faulty alarm was cleared, conversation began outside the house and continued later through social media. Long-distance dating followed until Carly moved home, and the rest is history.
Now married for ten years, they describe their relationship as balanced, strong, and built on communication. Their story is proof that sometimes love arrives when you least expect it — and that a simple alarm can change everything.
15 YEARS!
Beth and Justin Miller
When Justin Miller stepped in as a backup on a day the lead accountant was out, neither he nor Beth could have imagined it would spark a love story now 15 years strong.
Lifelong Mohawk Valley natives, Beth and Justin have built both a life and a business together. Working side by side each day, they support the small businesses that help the region thrive. While numbers may be their profession, it is the trust, shared values, and mutual respect between them that form the foundation of their partnership.
Over the past 15 years, they have grown together personally and professionally, creating a life rooted in commitment to each other and to the community they proudly call home. Their story is a partnership where trust and teamwork extend from their business into every part of their life together.
20 YEARS!
Trisha and Eddie Barone
Trisha and Eddie Barone celebrated 20 years of marriage this August, marking two decades of a love story that began unexpectedly.
When they met in 2003, Trisha was certain the relationship would never work. Eddie disagreed. With patience and determination, he proved otherwise, even giving up a job out of state for the chance to be near her. Before romance, they became best friends, building a foundation of trust and shared values.
Four months after they began dating, Eddie proposed on the beach at sunset in Virginia Beach, serenading Trisha with a song he wrote for the moment. Over time, they realized their core values and hopes for family were the same.
Twenty years later, they have built a life and family beyond what they once imagined. Their story is a reminder that sometimes the greatest love stories begin where you least expect them.
30 YEARS!
Douglas and Jackie Walters
Douglas and Jackie Walters will celebrate 30 years of marriage, marking a partnership that began not in a romantic setting, but in engineering classrooms at Clarkson University.
Doug, from Ballston Lake, and Jackie, from Liverpool, met in 1991 as mechanical and civil engineering students navigating demanding coursework. Study partners soon became inseparable teammates, sharing projects, mountain hikes, racquetball matches, and campus life. They married in 1994, building their early years together while completing their degrees.
After graduation, their journey took them to Boston, London, and New York City before returning to Upstate New York, where they chose Clinton as home and invested deeply in their community. Today, they remain active Clarkson alumni leaders and enjoy travel, pickleball, and time together.
What began as two students solving equations has become a life built on partnership, adventure, and showing up for each other — always.
38 YEARS!
Mary Ann (Mia) Ciotti DeBernardis and Leon John DeBernardis Jr.
Mary Ann (Mia) and Leon John DeBernardis Jr., known as Lee, met on an August night in 1986 at the Ramada Inn. As the evening came to a close, tradition called for the last song to be New York, New York. Though not a typical song to dance to, they stepped onto the floor together. It was a simple moment that sparked a lasting love.
After two years of dating, they were married on April 23, 1988. In 1993, they welcomed their son, Thomas, deepening the bond they had already built.
Over 38 years together, Mia and Lee have learned that a successful marriage is rooted in friendship, laughter, and unwavering support. Their story is a reminder that sometimes love begins with a single dance and grows stronger with every passing year.
40 YEARS!
Daniel and Denise Mabbett
Daniel and Denise Mabbett will celebrate 40 years of marriage on June 14. Together they have built a family that includes two sons, two daughters-in-law, one granddaughter, and one grand dog.
They met in Mohawk while Denise worked at Oneida National Bank and Daniel stopped in to make business deposits. Denise’s coworkers arranged a blind date at a Utica Comets hockey game, and the couple hit it off immediately. Daniel proposed the following December, and they were married a year and a half later.
They have lived in Mohawk throughout their marriage. After ten years at the bank, Denise stayed home to raise their sons before beginning a career in the Mohawk School System. Daniel built his career in cattle breeding and now works for Select Sires.
Over the years, they have remained active in local organizations and community efforts. Their story is one shaped by family, hard work, and deep roots in the town they have always called home.
Brian and Sharon (Siegenthaler) Smith
Brian and Sharon Smith’s love story began on July 4, 1978, when mutual friends set them up on a blind date at the fair and fireworks at Utica Parkway. He was the quiet, sincere type. She was the social butterfly. From the start, something sparked.
They were married on January 10, 1986 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, followed by a reception at The Ramada Inn. Their wedding cake, a multi-tier strawberry cheesecake from Manny’s, became part of family lore. July 4 remains a meaningful thread in their story, from their first date to the birth of their first child in 1989.
Now celebrating 40 years of marriage, they have raised three children and enjoy five grandchildren. In retirement, they divide their time between homes on Kayuta Lake in New York and Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. Their story is one of faith, family, and love that continues to shine brightly.
45 YEARS!
Joe and Lenore Steet
Joe and Lenore Steet will celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary on February 1, marking a love story that began with a simple mall encounter and a little hometown legend.
They met while Lenore was working at a t-shirt shop in Riverside Mall during college. Later, Joe returned to the store to place a t-shirt order for the team at United Auto Sales, where he worked. From that second visit, the story was set in motion. On February 1, 1981, they eloped to Niagara Falls, later celebrating with a full wedding surrounded by family and friends.
Over 45 years, Joe and Lenore have built a marriage defined by laughter, dedication, and shared effort. They have shown their children that lasting love is created through equal parts humor, hard work, and unwavering commitment. Their story is a reminder that sometimes the best beginnings come from the simplest moments.
50 YEARS!
Mike and Linda Sears
Mike and Linda Sears celebrated 50 years of marriage on June 7, 2025. Their story is one of hometown roots, shared values, and a family built with love and intention.
Both raised in Utica, they met while working at Emdens Pharmacy in South Utica. A simple introduction led to a first date, and four years later, they were married. The couple began their life together in South Utica before building a home in Holland Patent, where they have lived ever since.
They are proud parents of two daughters and grandparents to three grandchildren. Known for hosting holidays and family gatherings, their home has always been a place of warmth and welcome. Their marriage reflects a life built side by side, growing together through each season.
60 YEARS!
Alan and Karen DelMedico
Alan and Karen DelMedico will celebrate 60 years of marriage on February 12, 2026. Married in Chadwicks in 1966, they began their journey as high school sweethearts and lifelong friends.
Their first year brought both joy and hardship, teaching them early that love is built not only in celebration, but in perseverance. Over six decades, they have continually chosen one another, building a marriage grounded in communication, mutual respect, and devotion.
They have also been dedicated to their community, coaching and volunteering with Sauquoit Valley Little League and supporting local youth through the Optimist Club. Their shared sense of humor, grace, and ability to forgive have carried them through life’s seasons.
Their love story is a reminder that lasting partnerships are still possible and that true love grows deeper with time.
Ron and Rose Przelski
Ron and Rose Przelski of Gravesville will celebrate 60 years of marriage on September 25, 2025, marking six decades of devotion, perseverance, and deep community roots.
High school sweethearts from Poland Central School, they married in 1965 and soon began building both a family and a future together. With three children and later two grandchildren, they created a close-knit home filled with love and care, even through profound loss and hardship that tested their strength but never their bond.
In 1968, Ron and Rose opened the Gravesville Store with little more than determination and faith in one another. For 42 years, they worked side by side, growing the store into a beloved community gathering place known for friendly faces, good stories, and legendary sandwiches. Retirement eventually brought slower days and more family time, though Ron still tends to the business while caring devotedly for Rose as she faces dementia.
Through joy and sorrow, success and struggle, they have never left each other’s side. Their love story is one of loyalty, endurance, and a lifetime of choosing one another every day.
