100-year-old Ohio couple die hours apart after 79 years of marriage: 'They went out together'

Nowadays, finding love is simple. Being in love is difficult. Growing old together while still being deeply in love is priceless. The ability to maintain a romantic relationship requires dedication. It needs two people to be strong. There will be challenges, hardships and human frailties, but hold firm. Everything will pass, just like every storm in life. And just like any classic love story, Hubert and June Malicote's tale lives on even in death.

The Ohio couple, who were married for 79 years, were so inseparable that they couldn't bear to live on after the other passed away. Sam Malicote, their son, told The Dayton Daily News that Hubert and June—who were both 100—passed away just 20 hours apart.

Speaking to TODAY, Jo Malicote—the couple's daughter—revealed that her mother's health had been deteriorating for a number of years. Hubert, on the other hand, was fine until until his wife started hospice care the night before Thanksgiving. "He went from 100 to zero in the span of three days," Jo said. "My dad saw what was happening to mom. He knew the prognosis and he wasn't going to let her go alone. He lined up to be with her."

According to Sam, Hubert "broke down" when visiting his wife at the Hospice of Hamilton on November 25. "He fell apart really," the 76-year-old shared. Hubert joined June in hospice, where nurses pushed two beds together so the couple could be near each other. The centenarians were unconscious for days. Just a week before he was admitted to hospice, Hubert had been operating his tractor and working in his wood shop.

He passed away at 9:15 p.m. on November 30 and June took her final breath at 5:40 p.m. on December 1, about 20 hours later. "When dad passed they were in hand in hand," Jo revealed, adding that June "slipped away to be with him."

"I feel sad, but I shouldn't. Who can expect to live a life like that? They lived a long, happy life together and they were devoted to God and the family," said Sam. "They went out together." He added that his father died of a "broken heart."

WWII veteran Hubert told TODAY in June that he couldn't picture living without June by his side. The two met at church when they were 19 years old and lived through everything from the Great Depression to the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple said that they had never once fought in their 79 years of marriage. "It's kind of like if we aren't together, the team is broken," Hubert explained. Hubert turned 100 on July 23 and June marked her 100th birthday on July 13.

"They had a beautiful life. They were like a well-oiled machine, where everything just worked right," said Jo. "Our loss is great, but we are taking comfort in knowing they gained eternity together." According to PEOPLE, Hubert and June's obituaries state that over the course of their life, the couple welcomed three children, seven grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.

Hubert previously revealed that he and June never had regular date nights; instead, they just enjoy each other's company. The worst economic downturn in American history, he claimed, made them grateful for everything they had. "We've never really gone out much. When the kids were younger we were happy sitting around the table sharing stories about our day," he said. "We've had a wonderful life."