The perfect proposal?

The perfect proposal?

By Jolyn Garcia Posted February 15, 2012

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I went around Lowry and asked some of the teachers for the stories of their engagements. Each of these stories is as unique as the personalities of the individuals involved. Prepare yourselves to laugh, smile and gentlemen, take notes.

We all know that Mr. Taua Cabatbat is one of the toughest men at Lowry High School, but what many don’t know is that he also has a romantic side. Imagine dining at an island restaurant in Lahaina, Maui on the beach with the water reaching the deck. After the meal, you go for a casual walk along the beach before the sun begins to set. The most important person in your life gets down on his knees and asks you to make him happy for the rest of his life by marrying him. Isn’t this the picture-perfect marriage proposal? It might be, but this is not the story of Cabatbat’s proposal. After his son was born, Cabatbat thanked his fiancé for giving him this wonderful person in his life and asked her if she would give him another important gift by marrying him.

Art teacher Mrs. Courtney Rorex loved her proposal so much she went through it twice. Her husband invited her to a family camping trip in California and took her fishing early in the morning before the sun rose. Rorex took in the beautiful scene before her, chairs set on the sandy beach along with birds floating on the lake. The moment was soon destroyed when her future stepson and brother came running and the perfect scene that had been set up was ruined. Later that day they went for a walk along a creek behind their campsite. With the mosquitoes buzzing around them her husband proposed to her and she gleefully accepted.

Mr. Ron Espinola is one of the most well-known teachers at Lowry High School. The story of his proposal is one that will not soon be forgotten. After dating each other for nine months, Espinola decided it was time for a trip to visit the Grand Canyon. They took a two-day drive down from Oregon to the Grand Canyon. Espinola planned to propose while the sun was rising in front of the Grand Canyon. One would think that Espinola asked her to marry him at this time that way they could both have the image of this spectacular view, but this was not the case, “Oh no, it was so I could push her over the edge if she said no.”

Mr. Andrew Anderson has one of the most creative proposal stories that he gladly shared with us.

“After dating for 2 ½ years, it was time to get married. So I saved up and bought the ring she loved. Then I called her parents and arranged to meet them for breakfast. After their approval, I planned the engagement. I arranged to surprise her at a cabin in northern Minnesota. So on the day of the engagement, I had the cabin’s fireplace going, her favorite breakfast ready (coffee and muffins), a dozen red roses on the table and decorated the place with white Christmas lights.

“As we spent the morning there together – she still really had no clue what I was up to. She just thought it was some elaborate date I had thought up. But it was when I broke out my guitar that she started to get suspicious. I had written her a song and played and sang it to her. At the end of the song, the lyrics asked her if she would ‘marry me’. She started to cry (classic!) and I reached into my guitar case and pulled out the ring and got on one knee and told her she was the love of my life and that I wanted to spend forever with her. She said yes!”

Anderson will celebrate his tenth anniversary this summer. Rorex will also be celebrating 14 years this summer. Espinola celebrates his sixteenth anniversary during baseball season this year. Cabatbat has set his wedding date to July 7, 2012.