A love that lasts forever sometimes takes sacrifice
'Marriage is forever. Love each other and your children. Work together for what's best for each other.' - Lowell Pincock
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

Lowell and Karma Pincock

A love that's lasted more than 62 years is now expressed so profoundly that those around the couple are also filled with joy and comfort.

Thousand Oaks residents Lowell and Karma Pincock, married in the spring of 1946 in Washington, D.C., when he was 21 and she was 19. He was the son of a poor Idaho farmer, she the granddaughter of a congressman. Both were bright, hardworking students. Now, at ages 83 and 81, they are in the winter of their lives, but their love still blooms.

When Lowell was young, in a year that Idaho farmers were getting a good price for spuds, his father, George, planted what turned out to be a bumper crop of potatoes. But George was not a well man and became too ill to get his potatoes to the market.

"He lost his shirt that year," Lowell recalled.

After that, the family struggled financially, but still encouraged their children to follow their dreams, work hard and get good educations.

Lowell's older brother, Dee, did just that, becoming a fingerprint expert during WWII, when that science was just beginning. He later became a successful lawyer.

"My parents had no money to send us to school," Lowell said.

So Lowell joined the U.S. Navy. The military sent him to school to be trained as a dentist. Dental school meant Georgetown University in Washington, where his brother lived just a block away from Karma Robinson's family.

"When I first got to Washington, my brother Dee and his wife, Hazel, began telling me about this amazing girl Karma- who was very intelligent and pretty- and told me I should meet her," Lowell remembered.

But because Lowell was going to school all day and working at night and Karma was working during the day and going to school at night, the two did not meet right away. Lowell started going out with another girl- that is, until the three of them happened to attend the same church dance. Lowell recalled he was dancing with the other girl when Karma came up and tapped the girl on the shoulder and asked if she could cut in.

"I was thrilled to death when we began dancing. She was so beautiful- with big brown eyes and beautiful dark hair. I'd been told how amazing she was and I wanted to meet her," Lowell said.

From that time on they found ways to be together. They would meet when passing from work to school and get together again after 10 p.m. when his work shift was over and she was back from school.

About a year later they were married. They rented a very small apartment that cost $50 a month and saved enough money the first year to buy a $900 Ford V-8 coupe. It was Lowell's very first car. His parents had never owned one.

"We were very fortunate," Lowell recalled.

When WWII was over, he was mustered out of the Navy and spent the last two years of dental school as a civilian. He graduated fifth in his class. Lowell went to work in a dental office, where he was encouraged to apply for a threeyear Mayo Foundation Fellowship, which he was awarded.

He had to wait one year to begin, as soldiers from WWII came back and completed fellowships that were interrupted so they could go to Europe and fight. He decided to spend that year interning in New York City.

The couple packed all of their belongings into their car and went to New York. When he was stopped by a policeman for running a red light outside the Holland Tunnel, Lowell got out of the ticket by explaining to the officer he was just a country boy who'd never driven in a big city before.

Eighteen months into the fellowship in Rochester, Minn., the Korean War broke out and Lowell was called back into service as a naval officer. He and Karma and their 6-month-old baby went to San Diego for two years. When Lowell's service was completed, they went back to Rochester, where he finished his fellowship and became an oral surgeon.

He and Karma have four children and 18 grandchildren. Lowell worked as an oral surgeon in Santa Barbara for 35 years before retiring.

"Karma has been a wonderful and loving mother and wife," he said.

She encouraged all of their children to get an education, and their three daughters got their college degrees before marrying. Their son also married and is now an oral surgeon.

Karma sacrificed her education for marriage and a family. She spent many years serving those in need by giving her time to charity work and improving the lives others, Lowell said.

One day about 14 years ago Lowell got a call from Karma, who was at the grocery store. She told him she did not know her way home. He immediately drove to her, he said. Later, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

For 10 years Lowell took care of the needs of his beloved Karma. About four years ago her needs became so great she had to leave Lowell to get professional care.

"My parents were always both very bright and very independent. As she became ill, their love grew stronger and stronger as they needed to rely on each other," said daughter Sylvie Gale of Simi Valley.

Lowell advises young couples to be unselfish, learn to give and take and don't get too upset when there are differences.

"Marriage is forever. Love each other and your children. Work together for what's best for each other," Lowell said.

Lowell is giving up his house

ing up his house in Thousand Oaks and is moving to a condominium in Simi Valley so he can be closer to Karma and his daughters in case the day comes when he can no longer drive to see his wife, he said.

With what she describes as deep Alzheimer's, Gale said her mother can now do nothing for herself: "Not a single activity of life can she do for herself." Still there is one thing that can penetrate the veil that covers her mind.

While visiting her mother, Gale asked her, "What is your favorite thing about Dad?"

Her mother leaned back and relaxed in her wheelchair. A sweet smile swept across her face.

"That he's mine," Karma answered.