Altadena couple’s 60-year marriage marks new chapter after Eaton Fire
As the deadly Eaton Fire roared toward the Altadena home that Ray and Mary Jo Spano had lovingly restored from near ruin, Ray grabbed their most precious possession: nearly 300 love letters from their courtship in the early 1960s.
Mary Jo carried photos of their nine children and 24 grandchildren. Before they left, she affixed the image of Divine Mercy to their front and back doors and the separate entrance to Ray’s architectural studio.
“Even though we lost the house and his office, you still feel that God was very present and there’s a reason,” said Mary Jo, 84. “I guess in time we’ll understand what that was.”