MASON, Ohio — Everett Linton's face lit up as he climbed into a semi-truck. At 88 years old, the former truck driver was about to take one more ride for a very special reason.
"I'm ridin', I'm going to see my wife," said Linton.
Luminary Hospice Cincinnati and workers at the Mason Assisted Living and Memory Care arranged the surprise trip on Friday, reuniting Linton with two loves of his life: trucking and his wife Patricia, whom he hadn't seen in about a year.
"How do you feel about seeing her right now?" I asked him.
Linton simply clapped his hands in excitement.
Double wish granted: 88-year-old's last truck ride and wife reunion
The 88-year-old spent 30 years behind the wheel of semi-trucks, driving until he was 80 after serving in the Air Force from 1957 to 1959. Though he's now battling dementia, the feeling of being inside a truck cab never left him.
"It's an automatic," the driver explained during the ride.
"I didn't think so, it sounded like it did," Linton replied, showing flashes of his trucking expertise.
Staff at his facility knew making this reunion happen was important.
"We knew that he was a truck driver and he's been wanting to see his wife, who's in a different facility, so we knew we were going to make that happen," said Nicole Miller, Executive Director of Luminary Hospice.
During the 30-minute journey to The Majestic Care of Fairfield Assisted Living facility, Linton reflected on his decades on the road.
"What do you enjoy the most when you were a truck driver?" I asked.
"Driving," he answered simply.
"Do you remember any places you've been to?"
"Oh, I can't remember it was so many, Florida, everywhere," said Linton.
When the couple finally reunited, the emotional weight of the moment was evident. Patricia is battling advanced dementia.
"Do you remember who I am?" Linton asked his wife.
Moments later, tears streamed down his face as he gently reminded her, "You know me, you know who I am, I'm your husband, I'm Everett, that's OK."
His son was on a video call to witness the moment and offered support during the emotional visit.
"I'm happy to see you two together. I know it's emotional; she knows who you are," he told his father.
Despite the challenges, Linton left his wife with a kiss until they meet again.
"So glad to see you," he told her.
