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Miami University Men’s Basketball Head Coach Charlie Coles and his wife Delores were one of four couples in their family who renewed their vows along with an estimated 1,087 other couples at the Merger Moment on Saturday, June 20.
The members of the family were encouraged to take part in the ceremony by Vernice Turner, coach Coles’ mother-in-law, who said she read about the event in the newspaper and immediately wanted to get her family involved.
“I thought this is something my kids can be involved in,” Turner said. “This is history.”
Charlie and Delores Coles
Coach Coles and his wife, Delores, have been married for 45 years and met while students at Miami.
Charlie proposed to Delores on the steps of Swing Hall and the two were married during Charlie’s senior year.
Delores and Charlie spent many nights at the Miami-Western movie theater and around town during their courtship.
Charlie chuckled at the thought of giving advice for future Miami Mergers.
“I can’t say take your time, because I didn’t,” he said.
Peter and Darla Knox
Delores’ sister, Darla Knox, and her husband, Peter Knox, also renewed their vows Saturday. The couple has been married for 46 years, but they have known one another “since we were 5,” Darla said.
According to Darla, she and her husband did not date very much while they attended Miami because Peter was two years older and a member of ROTC. Peter proposed when he was leaving for the Air Force.
“I came to Miami to get a degree,” Darla said. “When the proposal came I said, ‘I have to graduate from Miami.’ ”
They were married one week after her graduation.
Chris and Robin Coles
Charlie and Delores’ son, Chris, and his wife, Robin, renewed the vows that bonded them 13 years ago.
Chris and Robin met in Michigan, married and then attended Miami when they returned to Ohio in 1999.
“I was so much older when I went back to school,” Chris said. “But all of my family had degrees from Miami.”
Craig and Mary Bennett
Chris’ sister, Mary, met her husband, Craig Bennett, at a Residence Life training session when they were in graduate school.
Craig said that when the couple first began dating, he didn’t know that Mary was coach Coles’ daughter.
Craig and Mary have now been married for nine years and both continue to work at Miami.
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