North Shore Couple Renews Wedding Vows at Kaplan Estates

Alma Barrett, age 87, a resident at Harriett and Ralph Kaplan Estates Assisted Living, wanted desperately to be present when her daughter Judi Corbishley and son-in-law Chris Corbishley renewed their wedding vows on their 25th wedding anniversary. With the help of the Kaplan Estates staff and expert planning by Judi and Chris, Alma’s dream became a reality.

The bride and groom walked down the aisle on May 25th before 23 guests, assisted living residents and staff to the legendary song “I Will.” The famed Christopher Cross hit, not coincidentally, was their wedding song 25 years ago. As the song is quite long, the happy couple entertained guests with an impromptu dance before the ceremony. It was a special day, made even more significant by the fact that May 25th was also the wedding anniversary of Alma and her late husband Larry.

“This ceremony was everything we hoped it would be,” said Judi Corbishley. “We knew we wanted to do something fun to celebrate this milestone anniversary, the pandemic being over and Chris making it through a very serious health crisis.” In August 2020, Chris was hospitalized for over a month with a severe case of sepsis, which ultimately caused three separate strokes. For a time Chris lost the ability to speak. While his progress at home was slow, he ultimately made a complete recovery, thanks to the love and support of Judi, their daughter Jordan (23) and son Noah (21).

The bridal party consisted of six bridesmaids and six groomsmen, including, of course, Jordan and Noah. The couple’s good friend, Craig Branscomb, performed the ceremony, prompting both tears and laughter from the bride and groom. When asked what the day meant to her, mom Alma was quick to give her opinion. “This wedding was so beautiful,” exclaimed Alma. “It was even better than the first one,” she said with a laugh.

Alma has been a resident at Kaplan Estates, operated by nonprofit Chelsea Jewish Lifecare, for the last two years. She is adored by residents and staff alike. “Alma is such a beloved member of the Kaplan family,” said Marisa Iafrate, Director of Marketing for the Peabody campus. “She is an avid Bingo player, loves our history series and is a terrific conversationalist. We were excited to host this special occasion for Alma and her family.”

Holding the ceremony at Kaplan Estates meant a great deal to Judi and Chris. “My mom loves living here, so for us, it’s our ‘happy’ place,” said Judi. “We couldn’t see her for such a long time because of the pandemic, but we knew she was happy, healthy and safe. We are grateful to the entire Kaplan Estates staff for taking such wonderful care of her and organizing the virtual visits. Renewing our vows at the assisted living seemed like the right thing to do.”

Judi was actually able to see her mom in person in early January, well before visitors were allowed at the assisted living. As an employee of CVS, Judi was asked if she wanted to join the vaccination team. “I agreed on the condition that I be allowed to vaccinate my mom,” recalled Judy. “After not seeing her in person for over six months, I was finally able to hug and kiss her. We both cried.” She added, “But they were tears of joy.”

About Harriett and Ralph Kaplan Estates and Chelsea Jewish Lifecare

Chelsea Jewish Lifecare, a highly respected leader in senior living, employs over 3000 people and provides care to over 2000 individuals daily, with campuses in Chelsea, Peabody, West Roxbury, and Longmeadow MA. Chelsea Jewish Lifecare (www.chelseajewish.org) is redefining senior care and re-envisioning what life should be like for those living with disabling conditions. The eldercare community includes a wide array of skilled and short-term rehab residences, ALS and MS specialized care residences, ventilator dependent homes, traditional and specialized assisted living options, memory care, independent living, adult day health, aging life care, home care and hospice agencies that deliver customized and compassionate care.