And I’m still a work in progress…

Corespondence from Colin Moore, KFC President Canada

November 6, 2026, is our fiftieth anniversary, so updating this post is well worth it. Where has the time gone? Most of this story has been told before, and many people already know it. I am so grateful that the first person and last one I see every morning and night is Donna. I would pick the same lady 100 out of 100 times and be the happiest person in the world.

I am grateful for our two children - Tara and Chris and their significant others Ari and Sarah. Let’s not forget the grandkids, Ri, Breanna and Miriam. Let’s not forget the four-legged ones, past and present: Shiloh, Chloe, Willow, Tigger, Emma, Buster, and now Mary.

I’m not so sure I can wish us another fifty years, because in all likelihood Donna will want to kill someone if her penalty is to spend that much more time with me. But then again, that’s her problem, not yours, dear readers. Besides, her punishment of having to live with me is frankly not anyone’s business.

Since the original article was posted in November 2024, we have accomplished a great deal worth sharing. We travelled, I retired, and travelled more. In fact, I dedicated our 50th anniversary to a year-long celebration. We travelled together and apart. Ironically, it was funny that we spent a significant part of the year apart. It turned into almost a year and a half of special activities, starting with my first return to Egypt after 61 years away. Then I went on a road trip with Chris to the East Coast before Christmas last year. In the spring of 2026, Donna and I went to the West Coast of BC and Alberta during avalanche season to visit long-time friends and family. We spent time at the cottage, and Donna went to five quilting retreats and took a weekend theatre trip to Stratford with the children, followed by the annual fishing trip. By the time you're reading this, I'll also have been to Scotland for a photo “Edstravaganza” and to Calgary to see Chris resurrect Eclectic Revival at the Grey Cup. Plus, we’re celebrating the New Year with a fireworks show at the Pyramids on my second return trip to Egypt. The denouement is another trip to London and Paris.

At the bottom of this article, you’ll find a series of links to some of our stories from fifty years together. They’re each too long to include in this article.

In the beginning…

In 1974, I was a photography major at Sheridan College. Our class of 125 students included five females, and our mini clique included three women. Shirley and I were good friends. I finally built the courage to ask her out on a date. She turned me down with a line I will never forget: “I am not the girl for you, but I know the perfect one for you!” The rest is a love story for the ages.

I met Donna, Shirley’s lifelong friend and neighbour, at a party Shirley hosted. We connected that night, and I asked her out on a date for the class party the following weekend. There was a minor issue: I already had a date. I called my other date within a few days and told her that something had come up and I would not be taking her to the class party.

That became the last time I would ask a woman for a date! I knew Donna would be the perfect one for me. I am fond of saying that our marriage is still a work in progress; after all, every single stage was new, and every stage had new and different challenges. Whether dating, getting married, having children, or career changes, we faced them all together. I am sure that our love at first differed from our love for each other now. It has evolved, and I cannot imagine for a single moment ever having a better person join me on this journey called life.

We have an incredible number of stories on our journey that will find their way into some form of story. One stands out as a classic – the KFC story.

Shirley Young, Karen Sakala, Donna, Me, Bob Pope, Kamal Kerba on November 6, 1976

We were married on November 6, 1976. Within ten days, I had changed jobs from management to commission sales, from being a department head in cameras to a commissioned job selling carpets. I moved from my mother’s house to a shared accommodation with my bride. I changed from a short commute of six miles to work to 47 miles, from a suburban store to the main flagship store of the Bay at Yonge and Bloor. As a result of all that turmoil and job change, we only had three days for our honeymoon.

Our friend Yvonne could not attend the wedding, and since she lived in London, we visited Yvonne on our honeymoon. Our drive to London took us past another famous name landmark – Paris. We got to Paris at lunchtime and decided to have a KFC lunch.

For the next twenty years, I would proudly declare that we went to London and Paris for our Honeymoon and ate at a world-famous restaurant, KFC! I decided to treat Donna to a trip to London and Paris, Europe, for our twentieth anniversary. To make it a special event, I contacted the President of KFC Canada to help make our Paris trip more memorable. I wanted to set up a unique table with candles and fancy tablecloths at a Paris KFC. He reached out to the KFC General Manager for France – unfortunately, the Paris KFC was the busiest in France, serving thousands of meals a day. They could not accommodate our request but gave us a free meal voucher. We did have lunch at KFC in Paris.

I love Paris in the spring time,
I love Paris in the fall….see if you can continue without singing.

Accepting change…

On our fortieth anniversary, our big party was a week after November 6th at a beautiful hall. On November 6th, I surprised Donna with a dinner at the local KFC. Our family set up an anniversary table, and some friends and neighbours joined us. We had balloons and a wonderful time.

Over our years together, we have had so many stories and memorable moments. I would not change them for an instant. We have had our stresses and challenges but overcame them. Two incredible children have shown us that we have been blessed and fortunate. The extended family and friends who have made the journey with us prove the axiom that “no man is an island.”

A long time ago, in 1982 to be precise, a work colleague had a heart attack and died on his way to work. That morning, he fought with his wife, and she often regretted their last conversation as she slammed the door behind him. His grieving widow made me promise never to leave the house without saying I love you. Since then, those have to be the last words spoken between us when one of us leaves. The beauty is that it is more meaningful every time, and we have long forgotten why we say that - it is just something we do.

I thank Donna for a fantastic partnership through thick and thin, job changes, and raising children. Now, it is on to a new phase—retirement. We are still a work in progress, and I hope to have many more adventures. Thank you for putting up with me; I love you more and more each day.

Lessons learned from fifty years:

Important Disclaimer: Donna has not seen, approved, or sanctioned any of this.

I will always be a work in progress. I'm constantly working on me. Rodney Dangerfield had a line I love:, ”My wife spent the first twenty-five years of our marriage trying to change me, but now she wants a divorce because I'm not the man she married.”

So I'm not here to give advice. However, fifty years is a lot of experience not to share some of my observations, so here goes. These are NOT in any order:

Grateful for my blessings: I make gratitude a daily habit. I believe the best way to measure a person is by the company he keeps. When I think of the friends we keep, I know I am one of the luckiest people in the world. I feel like we're the richest couple in the world. When I start each day, I count my blessings; just look who I wake up beside: Donna, and more often these days, Shiloh, who needs to start the day hogging my pillow.

Hot Tub Theory: I'm always in hot water with Donna over something. Just don’t make it a serious issue.

Every day is special: I don’t need anyone else’s made-up day to buy flowers, a gift, or do something nice. I don’t buy chocolates or flowers on Vanetines. I buy them whenever I feel like it, just because! In Fact, I am sure that Donna was at quilt retreats for half our anniversaries.

Marriage is never a fifty-fifty affair: In our case, we use each other to the best of our ability. Some days Donna does 80% of the heavy lifting; other days it’s 20%. I take Donna to the doctor with me. This way she knows what questions to ask and, more importantly, what to do with the answers. I do the finance dance and investments; Donna rubber stamps. I help with the laundry but do only the things I can’t damage - sheets, towels, and my clothes.

Our marriage and the remote control: Marriages evolve and go through different stages. In the beginning of our marriage, we loved the same TV shows, and the remote was never an issue. Then we took turns handing the remote over, so the other half could watch what they liked, and we still stayed in the room. Marriage has been about giving up the remote control just to stay in the same room. Finally, it can become a weapon. When you want to get rid of the other person, watch something they really didn't want to watch.

Congratulate or feel sorry for: At every place I ever worked, someone has asked how Donna has put up with me for all these years.

Some interesting numbers, in fifty years (or 18,262 days):

If we spent a combined hour per day in the bathroom, we will have spent 2.08 years in the loo.
For fifteen minutes of looking per day for things, read wallet, keys, glasses and/or phones OVER SIX MONTHS of the fifty years.
18,262 breakfasts, lunches, and suppers to arrange, prepare and serve or eat out
If we average 30,000 kilometres in the car per year. That1,500,000 kilometers. If you average 70km on highway and city driving, that’s just under 2,5 years in the car.

My mother said: The best times were when they were surrounded by family and friends, and neither of them wanted their best parties at their funerals.

My Father said: I want to thank our children and grandchildren for putting this party on, for helping us spend their inheritance. We're buying memories and experiences.

I love you: Make a goodbye kiss, and say " I love you” the last thing on your way out the door. If you do anything else after that, you’ve got to go back and get another kiss and I love you.

Editors note - It is my hope and intention to go back to London and Paris for our fiftieth anniversary in November 2026

We truly appreciate our blessings and journey. Here are images from some of our travels and family events. Here are some of our friends who have made this trip so magnificent.