Gary and Joan Spurgat of Edgecomb, Maine, celebrated their golden anniversary and fifty wonderful years together this month. They were united in marriage at the Harvey Memorial Church in Point Pleasant, New Jersey on June 14, 1969.

Gary, son of Carl and Marie Spurgat, grew up in Bay Head, New Jersey with his four siblings and attended Bay Head School and Point Pleasant Beach High School. He continued his education after high school before spending four years in the United States Air Force. Upon return, he worked for Fee & Mason in Manasquan, New Jersey until moving with his family to Edgecomb, Maine in 1985. He worked for Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine for many years before retiring in 2000.

Joan (Hibbs), daughter of Raymond and Renee Hibbs, grew up in Point Pleasant, New Jersey with her brother James, attending Point Pleasant Beach High School. Upon graduating, Joan continued her education and studied nursing at Monmouth Medical Center. Joan continued her career as a registered nurse working at Freehold Hospital until moving to Maine. Once in Maine, Joan took a step back from nursing to pursue her passion with books as a children’s librarian at Wiscasset Public Library in Wiscasset, Maine. She worked at the library while raising her family with Gary until retiring in 2017.

Gary and Joan spent their fifty years together raising five children: Natalie (Spurgat) Castonia and her husband Jake Castonia of Edgecomb, Gary Spurgat Jr. of Saco, Maine, Gretchen (Spurgat) Shippee and her husband Lucas Shippee of Hancock, New Hampshire, Adam Spurgat and his wife Jacey Waterhouse of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Diana (Spurgat) Lubrano and her husband Luigi Lubrano of Portland, Maine.

They have been blessed with 10 beautiful grandchildren: Jack and Emma Castonia, Evan, Grace, Madeline and Ryann Shippee, Naia and Kahalewai Spurgat, and Raymond and Violet Lubrano.