She arrived before him to their first official date. It was Oct. 16, 2009, “rainy and cold,” recalled Elizabeth Kellam Vance, known to all as Kelly.
Soon Tommy Throckmorton joined Kelly inside the cozy warmth of Bin 22 at Betsy’s in Carytown. After chatting pleasantly on e-harmony.com, they were really looking forward to meeting. “I knew I would like him,” said Kelly.
“We had many common interests and underlying connections,” explained Tommy while keeping an eye out for Kelly’s cat Ivan the Terrible. “He’s nice now but it took him a long time to warm up to me.”
In addition to loving music and travel, they both spoke fluent Russian. “I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Moscow from 2000 to 2002, teaching a masters class in public relations and marketing at Moscow State Institute of International Relations and other institutions,” explained Kelly. “Tommy has a degree in Russian Studies from the University of Richmond.”
Besides that, amazingly, both had grandfathers who were generals in the United States Army — the late General John L. Throckmorton and Major General Lawrence Russell Dewey.
The evening ended nicely as Tommy leaned over to give Kelly a kiss. “I thought, ‘Oh my!’” she laughed.
The next night Tommy decided to tag along to a Russian study group Kelly had located.
“He was so patient and polite to everyone,” laughed Kelly. “And we’ve been together ever since.”
That December was Tommy’s turn to host the huge annual Christmas party he and his friends throw. He was impressed as Kelly enthusiastically joined in the preparations. “Tommy’s sister, Dr. Anne Throckmorton, was also helping and she reached out to me,” recalled Kelly. “It felt good.”
Kelly, the daughter of Midlothian residents Elizabeth and Christopher Vance, appreciates sisterly affection being older sis to Amanda whose wedding to Chris VandenBroek was featured in “I Do, I Do” on Dec. 7, 2008.
Meanwhile Tommy the son of Thomas Throckmorton Sr. and stepmother Ann Throckmorton enjoyed the warmth of a large blended family with mother Cathleen McAuley and stepfather Peter McAuley. An avid crossword puzzle fan —and marathon runner — Tommy works as a project manager for Mondial Assistance, while Kelly is a public relations consultant.
Soon Tommy was conferring with his mother about a special family stone that had belonged to his grandmother “Nana” Dorotha O’Connell.
“It was after the Atlanta Marathon that we started talking about the future,” he recalled. “I had a new ring created at Chamblin Design.”
They had been planning a trip to Munich and the Alps, but he advised Kelly that he wasn’t going to propose then.
“Instead a week later, on Dec. 10, 2010, Tommy proposed at home — just as we were getting ready leave for the big friends’ Christmas party! I had come home late and was racing.”
“I was waiting in the parlor,” laughed Tommy.
Kelly ran down the stairs asking, “Do you like this rhinestone bracelet?”
“I think I have something better for you to wear,” replied Tommy, holding out the ring.
The blissful couple then strolled to the party at the Hanover Street home of Susy and Tucker Greer.
“Everybody clapped and cheered when we walked in the door!” said Kelly.
It’s all turned out wonderfully.
“Tommy’s sister Anne told us recently that she thought it was funny that our relationship turned Tommy into a cat-lover and me into a runner,” laughed Kelly.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement