Hubert and June Malicote, both 100, have been through nearly every stage of life together — and now death.
Their romantic love story ended last week when the centennials died just hours apart.
“They went out together,” said their son, Sam, 76, to Dayton Daily News in Ohio,.
June fell gravely ill after hosting a Thanksgiving pizza party for her family. Late that night, the great-grandmother was placed in hospice care to receive end of life care, and Hubert just “broke down.”
“He fell apart, really,” Sam said. Seeing June in such a state proved too much for Hubert, whose health deteriorated immediately thereafter — leading his family to admit him to hospice as well, in the same room where his beloved lay.
There, the couple remained unconscious — but holding hands — until Hubert passed away peacefully at 9:15pm on Nov. 30.
Their son claims that his father died of a broken heart. Just 20 hours later, his wife also passed at 5:40pm on Dec. 1.
“I feel sad, but I shouldn’t,” Sam said. “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.”
Hubert and June first met at church in 1941 in their home state of Kentucky. Hubert enlisted in the US Navy the next winter and continued to stay in touch with June as he fought abroad.
“When I saw her, I said she’ll be a good one,” Hubert previously told Cincinnati’s WKRC-TV in July, in honor of their centennial birthdays and anniversary milestone.
The young lovebirds were able to see each other when Hubert was sent home on leave, for just 13 days at a time. During his second return home, the sailor proposed to his sweetheart, and the two tied the knot not knowing if or when Hubert would return.
Thankfully, he came home safely after World War II ended, and eventually moved his family to Ohio. The couple went on to have three kids, Sam, Jo and Theresa, who gave them seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
The happy couple had previously shared their secrets to a long and loving relationship, claiming that they’d never had a serious fight — a shocking statement that was backed by their daughter Jo.
“We didn’t go through life without problems, but we would never do anything to hurt each other,” Hubert told TODAY in June. “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.”
After nearly eight decades wed, Hubert wasn’t able to imagine life without his June — which was proven with his passing.
Said Hubert just months prior, “It’s kind of like if we aren’t together, the team is broken.”