Displaced By Hurricane Sandy, Couple Weds at Hudson Valley Hospital Center
Murray Silverman, 98, and Muriel Siragher, 88, tied the knot on Thursday in a hastily planned but lovely ceremony in the chapel at Hudson Valley Hospital Center.
Murray and Muriel who live in Manalapan, NJ fled Sandy to stay with relatives in Yorktown when Murray was suddenly taken ill and hospitalized at Hudson Valley Hospital Center. Not knowing his chances for recovery, Murray decided to move up a planned wedding with his 88-year-old sweetheart and asked Hudson Valley Hospital Center staff if they could arrange for the wedding.
“It’s been such a joy for everyone involved and such a distraction from the misery of the storm,’’ said Suzanne Mateo, administrative director of nursing at HVHC. “Our environmental staff built a Huppah for the wedding ceremony and our dietary staff has planned a reception with a wedding cake. Our gift shop and Auxiliary donated flowers for the bride and groom. Everyone is really excited about this wedding.’’
Arthur Klein, Muriel’s son-in-law, said that Murray had asked him to make the arrangements shortly after he was admitted, saying he wanted to make sure that he and Muriel were wed in case anything should happen to him.
The Hospital’s tiny chapel was crowded with friends and family including Muriel’s grandson and his wife and great-grandchildren and Muriel’s other daughters who braved the weather traveling from New Jersey and Boston. The ceremony was performed by Cantor Jamie Tortorelllo-Allen of Temple Beth Am in Yorktown Heights under a Huppa built by Hospital staff.
Murray, affectionately known as Muzzy to his family, and Muriel first met more than 50 years ago when Murray and his first wife, Rose, and Muriel and her first husband, Irving, met on a trip to Greece. The couples became good friends and shared a love of travel. Muriel and Murray had not seen much of each other after the deaths of their spouses, but reconnected about six years ago when Murray came to stay with Muriel in Florida during the illness of a mutual friend.
“After that I didn’t think I would see him, but he called me and asked if I wanted to go to Thailand with him. How could I say no,’’ said Muriel. Murray added that since then the couple has traveled to Asia, Africa, Europe and South America.
Mateo said that this is not the first time that couples have wed at HVHC. “We have done this before. We try to accommodate our patients if we can. Certainly, Murray and Muriel are a special case.’’
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.