Valentine Couple of the Year: Linda & John Dobbyn

Linda and John Dobbyn are proof that opposites not only attract, but can keep that attraction going strong for more than half a century. The 2024 Canton Citizen Valentine’s Day couple, who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last June, laugh often and find true joy in spending time together.

In 1969 when Linda was a freshman at Emmanuel College and John was a sophomore at Boston College, the two met at a Northeastern University fraternity party. “He was very cute; he was very nice,” Linda said of meeting John and getting to know him. “We really clicked. Although we are opposites in a lot of ways, we always had fun together.”

Linda and John Dobbyn

When John saw Linda at that party, he was struck by how pretty she was. He was very shy in those days and waited for a slow dance to be played before working up the courage to approach her.

“He asked me to dance,” Linda explained, “and told me he would call me within three weeks. It ended up being five weeks.”

The BC community was on spring break, and with no cell phones at that time, the only way for John to get in touch with her was by calling one of the three pay phones in the hall at Emmanuel. They went to a Boston College dance — the first of many dates — and had a good time together.

“I think we knew within a couple of months that we were going to be spending the rest of our lives together,” John said, although they both like recalling a funny story about the first time that John told Linda that he loved her. Linda’s parents had told her to be cautious in her relationships and she followed their advice, telling John, “I think you’re really special, too.”

A few months later, however, she told John that she loved him.

They dated throughout their college years, with John majoring in management and computer science in BC’s School of Management and Linda majoring in secondary education and mathematics at Emmanuel.

John and his friends loved the Pewter Pot restaurant, and he would often go there for a muffin and then meet Linda at Emmanuel’s library, where he’d help her type her papers for class.

The couple got engaged at a Beach Boys concert on Boston Common in 1972. John graduated that year and went to work for Raytheon, and they planned a wedding for June of 1973, one month after Linda’s graduation.

The Dobbyns initially lived in John’s hometown of Revere, where Linda taught math before taking time off to care for their three sons, Christopher, Michael, and Ryan. They then moved to Burlington, and four years later they bought a home in Canton. Linda later worked for Raytheon for a time and then returned to teach in various school districts, while also serving as an adjunct faculty member at Massasoit Community College and as a private tutor. Her last teaching assignment was at Blue Hills Regional Technical School in Canton.

Following his time at Raytheon, John worked for Polaroid and other businesses until 1989, when he started and operated a carpet cleaning franchise. He also did tax returns for a number of people on the side, and about 12 years ago, a mutual friend introduced him to a man who had a tax return preparation business. The two men became partners, with John taking over the business when the original partner retired. The business, Canton Tax Group, is located at 345 Neponset Street.

Linda, who had also worked with John at the carpet cleaning business, has worked at Canton Tax Group for six years and runs the office. John, a tax preparer and enrolled agent, works with clients. They love what they do, because it gives them a chance to be together and also to meet wonderful people and catch up with them once a year.

When their kids were younger, John coached basketball and soccer and was the president of the Parent Faculty Association for a few years. All three sons played sports at Canton High School and were members of the school’s math team, with Chris serving as team captain. “We were very involved in the community,” John said. “And Canton was just wonderful for us.”

The couple now has nine grandchildren, with three living in New Jersey, three in Maryland, and three in Pennsylvania. “We do a lot of traveling,” Linda said.

Their oldest grandchild is Mike’s son Connor, age 15, who has been diagnosed with Sanfilippo Syndrome Type C, a rare neurodegenerative disorder that is often described as a childhood form of Alzheimer’s and for which there is no known cure.

The happy couple on their wedding day

John said that when people ask about Connor, they tell them that he is a very happy kid who is very loving. “We hold out hope for a cure,” he said. “We hold out hope for a better future for him. We don’t dwell on it, but it’s part of our life. We’ve been blessed in so many ways. Connor is blessed because Michael is an amazing dad and an advocate.”

Linda said that her grandson is happy and loves sports, loves to run, and loves to play basketball and soccer. “I just take it one day a time,” she said. “I can’t even think about the future. I’m hoping he gets to live a pretty good life. That’s the only way we can keep going.”

Mike has his own podcast called The Sanfilippo Project, in which he interviews people from around the country who are dealing with orphan diseases. He has raised over $1 million to help with a cure for Sanfilippo Syndrome. While Linda and John have helped raise funds also, they give a great deal of credit to Mike, his ex-wife, and his current wife for getting the word out about Sanfilippo Syndrome. Donations can be made at Saveconnor.com.

John stressed that they are very proud of all of their kids. “I have to say the Canton upbringing was a big part of it,” he said.

“There are a lot of great people here,” Linda added. “We love this business; we love the people here; we love our friends.”

When they are not working, the Dobbyns enjoy exploring other local towns on the weekend or when they have free time. “Linda’s really good at it,” John said. “We might take a ride to Mashpee or we might take a ride to Concord Center.”

“We make our own fun,” Linda said, since they don’t have their family close by.

They also treat each other with consideration. “He’s a very good husband,” Linda said of John. “He does a lot of things for me that he doesn’t particularly care for.”

Linda loves music and going to musicals or concerts, and John willingly accompanies her, even though he may prefer to stay home. They also watch television shows together that the other one prefers.

“We are moviegoers,” John said. “We love going out for dinner, either just the two of us or with friends.”

The Dobbyns have traveled to Italy and Portugal and are planning a trip to South Africa later this year.

Yesterday, Valentine’s Day, was a day for them to be together. “It’s a very special holiday for me. I love it,” Linda said. “We always go out on Valentine’s Day.”

“We’re just enjoying our lives together,” she continued. “We’re so proud of our family. We just love Canton and all the people. I think we’re at a very good place in our lives now.”

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Posted by Mary Ann Price on Feb 16 2024. Filed under Features. Both comments and pings are currently closed.