Joe And Joyce's Love Story: A Marriage Made?

Joe Rantz and Joyce Simdars, the subjects of the book and film The Boys in the Boat, did indeed marry. The couple met when they were attending school in Sequim, Washington, and became close friends. Joe proposed to Joyce before college, and they married on the same day they graduated from the University of Washington in 1939. They had five children together and were married for 63 years, until Joyce's death in 2002.

Joe Rantz and Joyce Simdars met in Sequim, Washington

Joe Rantz and Joyce Simdars first met in Sequim, Washington, when they were children. They attended the same school in Sequim, where they became friends. Joe was a year above Joyce, and when he left for the University of Washington, Joyce followed him there the next year.

Joe and Joyce's friendship blossomed into a romantic relationship by the time Joe was ready to leave for college. In fact, Joe had already proposed to Joyce before he left for the University of Washington. According to a close source, the couple got engaged in 1932. They were in a meadow looking for four-leaf clovers when Joe claimed he'd found one, and when Joyce asked him to show it to her, he opened his hand to reveal an engagement ring.

Joyce was born on November 7, 1915, to Otto August Simdars and Madge Enid Thomason. She is described as a friendly and affable person who loved taking pictures. Her favourite subjects were Latin and Mathematics.

Joe Rantz, on the other hand, had a troubled childhood. His mother, Nellie Maxwell, died of cancer when he was four years old, leaving him to be raised by his father, Harry Rantz, and, later, his stepmother, Thula LaFollete. Joe and his stepmother frequently butted heads, and when he was 15 years old, Harry and Thula abandoned him, leaving him behind but bringing Thula's four children with them. Joe persevered and was ultimately able to pay his way through school.

Despite the challenges Joe faced, he and Joyce remained together throughout college. They graduated from the University of Washington in 1939 and got married the same evening. Joe put his chemical engineering degree to use and found a job at Boeing, while Joyce worked as a clerk. Together, they had five children, whom they raised in a house in Seattle's Lake Forest Park. Joyce Simdars died on September 4, 2002, at the age of 86, and Joe passed away five years later, on September 6, 2007, at the age of 93.

Joe proposed to Joyce in 1932

Joe Rantz and Joyce Simdars' love story began in Sequim, Washington, where the two became close friends while attending school. Joe had a troubled childhood, with his mother dying when he was four years old, and his father and stepmother abandoning him when he was 15. However, Joyce was there for Joe during his lowest moments, and he trusted her implicitly.

In April 1932, Joe proposed to Joyce before they started college at the University of Washington. They decided to study at the same university, but the 2023 movie, directed by George Clooney, depicts the couple reuniting at the university in 1936, which was not historically accurate. Joe and Joyce's relationship was a victim of the condensed timing of the film, which covered the three-year journey of the rowing team in just one year.

Joe and Joyce graduated from the University of Washington in 1939 and got married the same year. They had five children together: Frederick, Judy, Barbie, Jerry, and Jenny. The couple remained married for 63 years, until Joyce's death in 2002. Joe passed away a few years later in 2007 at the age of 93.

They married in 1939

Joe Rantz and Joyce Simdars married on the same day they graduated from the University of Washington in 1939. The couple had been dating since 1936, but Joe had proposed to Joyce back in 1932, before they started college. They had met and become close friends when they were attending school in Sequim, Washington.

Joe and Joyce's wedding took place on the evening of their graduation, on 27 May 1939. They went on to have five children together: Frederick, Judy, Barbie, Jerry, and Jenny. Joyce was a devoted wife and helped Joe heal from the trauma of his childhood. She was also said to resent Joe's father for his ill-treatment but kept it to herself out of respect for her husband.

Joe and Joyce remained married for 63 years, until Joyce's death in 2002. Joe passed away a few years later in 2007, at the age of 93.

Joyce supported Joe through his Olympic journey

Joyce Simdars supported Joe Rantz through his Olympic journey, and the couple later married. Joyce was a supporting character in Joe's life, helping him repair his relationship with his father. The couple first met and became close before the events depicted in "The Boys in the Boat", while they were attending school in Sequim, Washington. They both decided to study at the University of Washington, and Joe proposed to Joyce before college began, in April 1932.

The film adaptation of their story, directed by George Clooney, takes some liberties with the timeline of their relationship. It depicts the couple as reuniting at the University of Washington in 1936, rather than having known each other beforehand. The film also portrays Joyce as a 'pick-me girl', constantly vying for Joe's attention, which is at odds with how she is characterised in the book, where she is shown to be focused on graduating college and supporting Joe.

Despite the differences between the film and real life, Joyce's support for Joe during his Olympic journey is clear. After the Olympics, Joe continued to compete in rowing and graduated from the University of Washington in 1939 with a chemical engineering degree. He and Joyce married the same year, on May 27, 1939, and went on to have five children together. Joe worked for Boeing for 35 years, and by all accounts, the couple had a long and happy marriage until Joyce's death in 2002. Joe passed away a few years later in 2007, at the age of 93.

They had five children together

Joe and Joyce Rantz had five children together: Frederick, Judy, Jerry, Barb, and Jenny. The couple raised their family in Washington, where Joe worked at the Boeing Corporation for 35 years.

Frederick, the eldest child, passed away in 2022 at the age of 80. He had a stroke and died from subsequent complications. Unlike his father, Frederick did not pursue a career in sports. Instead, he became a consultant and a master hypnosis therapist. He was survived by his five children and eight grandchildren.

Joe and Joyce's daughter, Judy, played a pivotal role in bringing her father's story to light. She introduced her father to the American author Daniel James Brown, whose book, "The Boys in the Boat," inspired the film. Judy and her sister, Jenny, have both given interviews about their father's life and legacy.

Jenny's daughter, Jennifer, has carried on her grandfather's athletic legacy. She took up rowing in 2009 and has since won 26 medals at the Northwest Regional Championships.

Joe was determined to give his children a positive and stable life, which he himself had been deprived of during his childhood. Joe's mother died when he was four years old, and he was abandoned by his father and treated poorly by his stepmother. Joe persevered through these challenges and created a loving and supportive family with Joyce.

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