Rocky Abalsamo will never have to leave his wife again.
We've all heard the phrase "it was love at first sight" but, for Rocky Abalsamo, love hit before he even clapped eyes on his future wife Julita.
He overheard Julita talking about "the soul, about life, about goodness" with her friends in a cafe in their native Buenos Aires. Talking about the moment in a November 2000 interview, he explained that - even before seeing her face - he knew she was the girl of his dreams:
“This is for me. I must know her.
“People no listen, people only see. They need to listen, to see what is inside, to be happy.”
Rocky said he fell in love with Julita because "she was pure love. Her beauty was a gift apart, a reward.” And, after sharing their first kiss on 16th September 1937, the pair knew they were meant to be.
The following April, they were married - and for 55 years they were very happy. But, when Julita died of complications following heart surgery in 1993, Rocky was distraught. His other half was gone - and he didn't know what to do with himself.
In short, Roque wasn't ready to be done spending time with his beloved wife.
Every day, Roque would come to St. Joseph's cemetery in Boston as soon as it opened and sat by his wife's grave until it closed.
“She is part of me, so here I am whole.
"Being here makes me feel better. Not good, but better. I do it for Julita, and for myself.”
He would wear the tattered green jacket that Julita knew and loved, he would toast her with sparkling cider on her birthday and, before he left at night, he'd sprinkle bread crumbs around her tombstone so the chipmunks would come keep her company at night.
The daily ritual continued until 2005, when Roque's son was killed in a car crash. Although he still continued to visit Julita regularly, Roque decided that he needed to continue living his life and spending time with his surviving family members.
His last visit was in July 2013, before he fell ill.
His daughter Angela explained that her father’s vigil was often difficult for the family:
“We always had a fear that something was going to happen to him, that we would find him frozen in the winter.
"We had to let go from our fear so he could live the life he wanted to live.”
When Roque died on 22nd January 2014 at age 97, his last request was to be buried to the left of his beloved Julita, just as they walked together in life.
Now they will rest side by side, forever. We hope that they rest in peace and thank Roque for teaching us the meaning of true love.