A love story for the ages: Soulmates die just 30 minutes apart after vowing 'where you go, I go' when they tied the knot 66 years ago - as their heartbroken children reveal their secret to a happy marriage

  • Maureen Hollis told Kevin Gallagher 66 years ago 'wherever you go, I go'
  • The couple took their final breaths almost simultaneously in October
  • The New Zealanders had battled separate illnesses in final stages of their lives 
  • Son Craig said moment was 'bittersweet' having watched them suffer all year

By Charlie Coë For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

A husband and wife who vowed to always be together have died just 30 minutes apart bringing an end to 66 years of marriage and an incredible love story. 

Maureen Hollis told the love of her life Kevin Gallagher 'wherever you go, I go' when they tied the knot in 1954.

They took their final breaths at their retirement unit in Tauranga on New Zealand's North Island in the early hours of October 12.

Maureen was 88 and Kevin was 89. 

They had battled separate illnesses as they aged and were both aware of how close the other was getting to the end.

Maureen Hollis vowed to her husband Kevin Gallagher 'wherever you go, I go' as they tied the know 66 years ago

Maureen Hollis vowed to her husband Kevin Gallagher 'wherever you go, I go' as they tied the know 66 years ago

Their youngest son, Craig Gallagher, said the family always thought the pair could pass away in the same year - but never believed they would do so in such a short space of time.  

'It's such a beautiful story. Obviously we're processing our grief but knowing they're both at peace together has really helped us through it,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 

'It was such a bittersweet situation after watching them suffer for a whole year.'

Kevin and Maureen were unconscious in the hours before they died so were each unaware they had lost their loved one. 

The elderly Tauranga couple had battled separate illnesses but both passed away between 6am and 6.30am on October 12

The elderly Tauranga couple had battled separate illnesses but both passed away between 6am and 6.30am on October 12

'Mum took her last breaths and I remember then opening the curtains as the sun rose in Dad's room - we sat with both of them as they died,' Craig said.

The couple met in Gisborne - a small coastal city south-east of Tauranga - and moved to the Bay of Plenty where Kevin took up a job unloading ships at the Mount Maunganui wharf.

They tied the knot at the age of 22 and went on to have eight children.

Kevin was also an expert craftsman - working second jobs fixing cars and as a plumber to help put food on the table.

Maureen stayed at home and looked after the children who were left wanting for nothing.

'One thing my Dad said to me that stuck with me was 'do a job properly or don't do it all',' Craig said.

'They instilled a great work ethic in us.'

Craig said his parents had found the secret to a happy marriage which was sharing the load.

'He brought home the income and mum ran the household - she would look after the finances and the family budget,' he said.

'I don't really remember her ever stopping and sitting down at any point. She was the type of woman who would iron her handkerchiefs.'

Twenty years ago - anticipating the time might one day come when they could no longer live independently - the couple subdivided their property so they could build a retirement unit which could cater for them in their old age. 

The couple is pictured having a video call with their family in Australia during their final months

The couple is pictured having a video call with their family in Australia during their final months

Craig, 56, moved into his parents' garage in February after Kevin fell and broke his leg.

The father and son ended up sharing a bedroom together, giving them a chance to reconnect on a much deeper level.

'We were just chatting about things and talking about our lives,' Craig said. 

'He actually told me that she had said to him 'where you go, I go'. I feel really fortunate he told me that - it truly was a blessing.

'It's a hard pill to swallow when you lose your parents but I can't think of a better way for them to go: together, at home, at the same time and of natural causes,' he said.

'Other than accidents like car crashes how often does that sort of thing happen?' 

Kevin had been given just months to live before his death because of severe lung complications.

Maureen meanwhile had dementia and long-term blood pressure problems.

The couple, pictured on their joint 80th birthday, were working at a hospital laundry when they tied the knot at the age of 22 and went on to have eight children

The couple, pictured on their joint 80th birthday, were working at a hospital laundry when they tied the knot at the age of 22 and went on to have eight children

Craig's sister Trish lived in the home at the front of the family plot and acted as her parents' full-time care worker for the last seven years of their lives. 

'Mum was sick but she was quite happy to wait for Dad before she passed,' Mr Gallagher said. 

'We thought they could go within months or even weeks of each other but not on the same day.'

The couple is survived by 21 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren.

They were farewelled by their family and friends at St Mary's Catholic Church Tauranga on October 16.

New Zealand

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