Here are Daryl and Therese recently. Courtesy photo

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - This Valentine’s Day, two special couples share their two love stories that have Rancho Cordova in common! Meet Daryl and Therese and Neal and Yen through their interviews below.

Love Lost and Found: Daryl and Therese

Daryl and Therese first met in 1985 and fell in love but distance kept them apart. Thanks to their Rancho Cordova connection, they found each other and love again.  

First impressions of each other?

It was May 1985, and Daryl and Therese met roller skating at Kings Skate Country, then located at Folsom Boulevard and Bradshaw Road. At the time, Daryl was stationed at Mather Air Force Base and Therese had just been hired by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, while earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Her first thought of Daryl was that he was sweet, kindhearted and fun to be with. Daryl’s first impression of Therese was that she was pretty. 

What role did Rancho Cordova play in their love story?

Daryl and Therese dated between May 1985 and October 1989. After leaving the military, Daryl moved to Portland, Oregon where he attended Portland State University to earn his engineering degree. After graduating, he got a job in Washington state and asked Therese to marry him. Ultimately, Therese said no because she didn’t want to leave her parents and eight siblings and move to Washington.  

Daryl married in the 1990s, but after his wife passed away in 2021, decided to look for Therese, whom he had never forgotten. It was July 2021 when he started searching, which also happened to be the same month that Therese was retiring from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department after a 36-year career. Because Therese had spent the last 18 years of her career in the Rancho Cordova Police Department, an article was featured in the Grapevine about her retirement. When Daryl ran a Google search, her name appeared. After more than 30 years, Daryl had found Therese. Again. 

Therese has no social media accounts, so it took Daryl from the end of July to November 2021 to find her contact information and then work up the courage to call. Once he called and they spoke, it was like they had never been apart. They met in person in February 2022 when Daryl drove 12 hours straight to meet Therese at her home in Rancho Cordova. On March 17, 2023, Daryl again asked Therese to marry him and this time, she said yes. 

Favorite date spot?

Daryl and Therese love walking along the American River and hiking in Placer County and El Dorado County. Now that they live in Washington, they hike all around northwest Washington. They still visit California, and Rancho Cordova, which holds so many memories for them. 

Daryl shared a memorable story from their relationship.

Daryl took Therese to Canada in the late 1980s. She was asleep when they drove across the border, and when they got up in the morning and stepped outside the hotel, all she could see were signs in Chinese. He laughed and said he didn’t take her to China; they were staying in China Town in Canada. He can still remember the look of shock on her face. After breakfast, they went to see a suspension bridge, something Therese had no knowledge of. When she stepped on it and it moved, she screamed, which Daryl thought was very funny. They still laugh about this adventure. 

Any advice to other couples 

Their advice to other couples is simple: Don’t give up on lost love! 

Here are Daryl and Therese early in their relationship. Courtesy photo

Cordova High School Sweethearts: Neal and Yen

Neal and Yen met in Rancho Cordova through school in 1993 and have been in each other’s lives ever since. The couple stayed in the city to raise their two daughters, and Yen has worked for the City of Rancho Cordova since 2016.

Neal and Yen are pictured early in their relationship. Courtesy photo

First impressions of each other?

Neal remembers first meeting Yen when giving her and her sister a ride home from sports practice. He remembers that Yen was very loud, talkative and had a strong personality that he found quite interesting. Yen remembers that sometimes Neal would offer her rides home from track practice, but with that headstrong personality of hers, would usually decline.

What role did Rancho Cordova play in their love story?

The school system brought them together. When Neal and Yen were attending Cordova High, their first dance together was Homecoming in 1993. Neal was a senior and Yen was a sophomore at the time.

Favorite date spot?

In the early 2000s, Neal and Yen would often go to Lyon's restaurant off White Rock Road (now Casa Ramos) for dinner. Now because of their kids, the couple like to go to the Old Spaghetti Factory off Folsom Boulevard. Another place they used to frequent in the early 2000s was the pool hall where Walmart is now. When Yen used to work at the Bank of America, she would meet Neal and his friends at the pool hall after work. Yen notes that they used to have the best nachos!

Neal and Yen are pictured recently. Courtesy photo

They shared a memorable story from their relationship.  

Neal and Yen attended a couple of school dances together casually as friends. After Winter Ball 1993, Neal decided he wanted to start dating Yen seriously. She told him that she wasn’t ready for a boyfriend and they didn’t talk for several months after. As spring came, Yen decided she wanted to date him. She would go to his tennis games and watch him play but Neal ignored her until a mutual friend told him that Yen really wanted to go to his senior ball with him. Neal decided that he would give Yen another shot and the two have been together ever since.