DIS-A-VOWS

DIS-A-VOWS

Marie Suzanne Stewart and Jeffrey Michael Stewart were divorced Saturday afternoon at the Ronkonkoma Town Hall in Ronkonkoma, Long Island. Mr. Anthony Keegan, county clerk, filed the paperwork.

The divorcee, 33, is a school teacher at Little Hands Elementary School in Patchogue, Long Island. She teaches penmanship and her students have a ninety percent graduation rate. She received a Masters in Education from Stonybrook University.

She is the daughter of Sharon S. Lapinksy and Ronald “Bud” Lapinsky of West Islip, Long Island. The divorcee’s mother worked as a paralegal for 38 years in the family owned law firm, Clarke, Clarke, Clarke and Clarke. Her father is the proprieter of Bud’s Suds, a beer distribution center in downtown West Islip.

The recent bachelor, 34, is currently employed
as a sales representative for Kraft Foods. His route extends from Greenlawn to Rocky Point, distributing products such as Ready to Eat Cheesecake Filling and 100 Calorie Packs of Chips Ahoy, Oreo and Nutter Butter Chewy Granola Bars. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in History at Quinnipiac College.

He is a son of Claire Stewart and Richard Stewart of
Yaphank, Long Island. Claire is romance writer under the pseudonym N. Amore and his father works in the Time Warner Cable’s Yaphank sales office.

The couple met during their sophomore year at Ronkonkoma High School. Marie was captain of the volleyball team and Jeffrey played varsity football. “We were high school sweethearts, Marie said.
“Everyday was new and exciting.” The couple dated throughout high school, deciding to split at the end of their freshmen year of college. Jeffrey added, “I always knew I was going to marry her, I just needed some time off in college and a year or two after to roll the dice and sew some oats.”

Years after college, during the summer of 2002,
both Marie and Jeff came back to Ronkonkoma to attend the tenth annual Tomato and Surf Festival. “I didn’t know he was going to be there and when I saw him, I just melted,” Marie said. They started dating that night and two years later they were married at the Sans Country Club, the same site of their senior prom. The first five years of their marriage went well. The couple moved back home to be closer to their
families. Marie started teaching and Jeffrey coached
football after work. “Then it all seemed to go to shit,”
Jeffrey added. The small cracks in their marriage kept
getting larger.

“I would teach kids all day long, only to come home to
another child - a giant one,” she said. “I felt like his mother which really sucked out the romance.” Six years into their marriage, Marie and Jeff were barely communicating. “Apparently, I have no communication skills,” said Jeff. “As far as I’m concerned, if something is bothering me, I’ll let you know, if
not, stop hassling me.” Months later the couple filed for divorce.

“Well, it’s usually the second or third marriage that
works anyway,” the divorcee’s mother added.

The couple filed under irreconcilable differences. Marie stated, “The causes for the divorce were a lack of communication, a lack of emotional commitment, a lack of maturity, a lack of support, a lack of work, a lack of free time due to football, a lack of culture, a lack of anything in common, a lack of ability to make positive changes and a lack of romance.” Jeffrey stated, “Things just didn’t work out.”

Marie will use her maiden name Lapinsky because she never felt, “comfortable or safe being called Stewart.”