Love factually: From opening doors to intellectual emails

View Neighborhood Newspapers explored two southwest-area couples' stories on Valentine's Day.

The Coopers

The first time Anthony Cooper asked out his future wife, Kathleen, it did not go as he planned. He was in eighth grade, and she was a high school senior.

"I told him to try again after he reached puberty," Kathleen said.

Anthony, or Tony, did.

About two years later on New Year's Eve, they were at an overnight church retreat and ended up spending considerable time together. After eating breakfast at Palace Station, the final stop of the retreat, he asked for her phone number. She told him the wrong number by accident.

Months went by before they would meet again at another church function. She told him the correct number this time, one that Tony still can recite from memory.

Tony and Kathleen live in the Mountain's Edge community and own a balloon- decorating business, Balloons in Las Vegas. Though they were separated by four grades in high school, they are just six months apart in age. Kathleen skipped ahead two grades, and Tony was held back a grade because his family moved often due to his father's military career.

For their first date, Kathleen drove them to the Carl's Jr. at the corner of Nellis Boulevard and Bonanza Road. Tony forgot to open the door for his date, something he has not been able to live down since. They sat in a booth, drank sodas and talked for hours. Kathleen had to get a brace for her leg the next day because she sat on her knee for so long.

Months later, it was time for Tony's family to move again. Tony and Kathleen talked about getting married and staying in Las Vegas together. Tony even had an engagement ring on layaway at a jewelry store inside the Fashion Show mall. The day he paid it off, they walked out of the mall, and Tony proposed in the parking garage minutes later.

"I was so excited when I finally paid it off," Tony said " and I couldn't wait any longer."

The two eloped at the (then) Chapel of Love on Las Vegas Boulevard. They have been married 21 years and have three kids.

The Coopers do not shower each other with extravagant balloon gifts on special occasions because they see plenty of balloons already, they said. A favorite gift Kathleen recalled was a meal Tony cooked and brought her once while she was bedridden.

Tony said he enjoys the simplest gifts his wife has given him, such as coupons for a dinner or a hug.

"I think the couples that make me most happy are the 70- and 80-year-old couples still holding hands," Tony said. "I would like to see us like that when we're (old). Still giving a kiss when one of us leaves the house."

His favorite gift, he said, was a book his wife pieced together from pages of Disney coloring books that chronicled their life.

Tony was Peter Pan because he refused to grow up. Kathleen's mother, who was never too fond of Tony, they said, was portrayed by the Queen of Hearts yelling, "Off with their heads!"

Every year on March 12, the anniversary of their first date, Tony and Kathleen return to the same Carl's Jr. and have sodas together.

Tony learned his lesson, though. He always opens the door for Kathleen.

The Jillettes

Penn Jillette remembers something a little unusual about his wedding.

"Our marriage (upset) Elvis," said Penn, the talkative, larger half of the Penn & Teller duo.

He and his wife, Emily, married in 2004 at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel.

"The proprietor is an Elvis impersonator. He offered to give us a full Elvis wedding for free. We said no. We didn't really have in mind an Elvis wedding. And Elvis pouted."

Penn and Emily met in 2003 after Emily attended his show at the Rio. She said she saw him signing autographs afterward and waited until the crowd dissipated so she could talk to him.

"It wasn't really a plan," Emily said. "I wasn't a stalker. I was an impromptu stalker."

Penn said the two connected instantly, especially after Emily mentioned Richard Dawkins, one of the world's most famous atheists. Penn and Emily are libertarians and atheists. They exchanged information and ended up emailing each other all night long.

"It was originally a fairly intellectual relationship," Penn said.

They had their first date the next day at Starbucks inside the MGM Grand.

"The cool thing was, on the date, I wasn't particularly nervous," Emily recalled. "I love him dearly now, but I didn't have this huge crush on him."

Penn was the nervous one, Emily said. He twice knocked over a plate of fruit they were sharing while talking and using hand gestures.

Emily returned to Florida, and the two stayed in contact.

"He wrote the most wonderful emails," Emily said.

They dated long-distance for several months, and she made frequent trips to see him. Eventually they decided that she would move into his southwest-area home.

"We're both libertarian and atheist," Penn said. "She's moral. She doesn't drink. She doesn't use drugs. She's trustworthy. It's all the stuff that's not usually considered romantic or sexy but is the most important stuff in the world.

"One thing you can't do is pretend that opposites attract. That's been disproved many, many times. You have to agree no matter how much you want to think that there's some sort of connection at the heart."

Penn and Emily were very matter-of-fact about their goals when planning her relocation, including their desire to have children. They planned for and had two kids, a girl, Moxie CrimeFighter, and a boy, Zolten.

Marriage was not originally in their future, Emily said, but they decided to tie the knot "for love, and so we'd have the same last name and be a family."

"A big thing we've tried to do in our relationship is say what we mean and mean what we say," Emily said, "and never have to read between each other's lines."

Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 224-5524.