On August 23, 2026, a warm, heartfelt moment unfolded at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel in Giraudel, as the entire congregation turned to sing a special anniversary rendition of “Happy Birthday”—reworked for Atherton “Athie” Martin and his wife Fae, who marked 57 years of marriage that weekend. What began as a chaotic favor from a girl next door to a troublesome teenage neighbor has grown into a half-century-plus union defined by distance, disagreement, forgiveness, and a quiet, unshakable commitment to choosing each other, again and again.
The pair first crossed paths as teenagers in Dominica, when Fae’s family moved into the home adjacent to Athie’s childhood residence. Athie was 14 or 15 at the time, and Fae was two years his junior. A self-described “troublesome boy” with a love of music and no shortage of female admirers, Athie found himself in a deeply awkward bind: he had accidentally scheduled two separate cinema dates on the exact same night. Desperate for a way out, he asked Fae’s mother for permission to bring Fae along to help defuse the situation, and Fae agreed. The foursome headed to Carib Cinema, with Athie sandwiched between two other young women and Fae by his side, bailing him out of his own social misstep. “She saw my predicament and decided to help,” Athie remembered. “And that was the first time we actually went out together.”
What started as a casual neighborhood friendship slowly bloomed into affection, forged through shared youthful adventures and quiet time spent together. Their bond deepened dramatically after the devastating 1963 Carnival fire that killed Athie’s oldest brother, Eddie. Fae and her family stood by the Martin family through their overwhelming grief, a show of support that changed how Athie saw his young neighbor. “It was a very grief-filled time for me, for my family,” Arthie recalled. “Their family, they were there with us.” In that dark moment, he came to see Fae not just as the girl next door, but as a compassionate, steady presence he could count on. By 1965, their friendship had naturally shifted into courtship, and they officially became boyfriend and girlfriend.
When Fae migrated to the United States in 1967, thousands of miles of ocean did little to dampen their connection. Athie proposed, and in a romantic gesture fitting for the era, his engagement ring traveled to New York via regular mail. “The ring arrived in the mail, the US Postal Service,” Fae confirmed. Unwilling to let the woman he loved build a life apart from him, Athie soon followed her to the U.S., and the pair married in 1969. Their new union faced an immediate test: the day after their wedding, Athie left to begin his university studies, and the newlyweds lived apart for nearly two years, until Fae joined him in upstate New York while he attended Cornell University. It was there they finally built their first shared home: Fae worked on campus while Athie pursued his degree, and they made lifelong friendships that endure to this day.
After Athie completed his studies, the couple faced another crossroads: he could either return to his native Caribbean or take a professional post in Africa. Fae favored the Africa opportunity, but Athie’s heart remained tied to Dominica. His choice to return home created years of extended separation: while Athie built his career, engaged in political work, and led community projects in Dominica, Fae stayed in New York, where the couple’s only child, their son, was born. The long-distance strain took a heavy toll on their marriage, and Athie speaks openly about his own mistakes, including extramarital relationships that caused Fae deep and lasting pain. He credits Fae’s extraordinary strength, generosity, and radical capacity for forgiveness with saving their marriage. “She had to have been a supremely strong person to remain engaged with me after all these events,” he acknowledged.
Eventually, the whole family reunited in the Washington, D.C. metro area, settling in Maryland. Both built successful careers, bought a home, and forged what Athie calls a “second version” of their marriage. But Dominica’s pull never faded for Athie. When he decided to relocate back to his home country permanently, Fae did not share his urgency and stayed in the U.S. for another year. Undeterred, Athie returned to the U.S. for her, bringing a 40-foot shipping container to pack up all their belongings—including their car—and made it clear that their next chapter would be written together, in Dominica.
While their return was not without conflict, working side by side on a shared business investment gave the couple a renewed common purpose. Decades of navigating differences together taught them a clear lesson about lasting marriage, Athie says: “The secret of staying married for 57 years is having common ground, but not being afraid of differences.” They also prioritize preserving each partner’s individuality: Fae gives Athie space to pursue his passions, and he extends the same freedom to her. Open communication is another core pillar of their bond, though they have learned communication does not always mean immediate conversation. Where Athie is naturally quick to speak, Fae often needs time to process before addressing conflict; over the years, they have learned that patience is a form of listening, and that love requires understanding what is communicated through silence as much as words.
Through every high and low, the couple has never lost their ability to find joy and laughter together. One beloved shared memory: a casual walk in an upstate New York park that turned into a frantic race to escape a swarm of mosquitoes dead-set on chasing Fae. What felt like a disaster in the moment became a running joke between them for decades. That ability to find humor even in uncomfortable, messy moments remains one of the strongest threads in their bond.
Today, 57 years after Fae bailed a teenaged Athie out of an embarrassing cinema mishap, the couple still stands together. Their love has not endured because their path was ever smooth; it has lasted through distance, heartbreak, disagreement, and changing life seasons because they never stopped choosing to find their way back to each other. When asked if he would make the same choice to build a life with Fae, Athie says he would not hesitate: “I would do it again.” Reflecting on a lifetime of possibilities, he says no other relationship could ever compare to the one he shares with his wife. For young couples just starting out, their advice is straightforward and honest: make time for each other, communicate openly, learn to navigate both joy and hardship together, respect each other’s individuality, and expect the unexpected. “Laugh at yourself and laugh with each other,” Arthie advises. “Create a relationship that is large enough to accommodate the good times, but also the tough times.”
