A hospital wedding

Shelly and Dale Stark have known each other for more than 30 years.

A year-and-a- half ago, the 60-year-old maintenance man from Valley, Neb., asked his girlfriend, who is a production manager at a stage company, to pick a date for their wedding.

Shelly and Dale Stark were married recently during a ceremony in Clarkson Tower. The ceremony was called suddenly due a sudden turn in Dale Stark’s health.

The couple was not in a hurry to nail down a date until Dale’s health recently took a dramatic turn for the worse.

A quick decision

In a quick decision, Shelly chose March 20 — the first day of spring. But their wedding didn’t happen in a church, it took place in Dale’s hospital room on the eighth floor of Clarkson Tower.

Dale was recently diagnosed with adenocarcinoma in his throat and was placed on a ventilator to help him breathe. Because of the seriousness of his condition, Shelly decided she didn’t want to wait any longer to get married.

The time is now

“I don’t want to be your girlfriend,” Shelly told Dale. “I don’t want to be your significant other, I want to be your everything. Today is the day I want to get married. What do you think?”

Dale thought it was a great idea. So over the course of about two hours, a half dozen or so staff members helped make it a special day for both of them.

The wedding planners

Medical social worker Christine Moran notarized the marriage license. Nurse Kari Rush suggested a cake and adult intensive care unit manager Kelly Goetschkes ordered it.

Roman Catholic chaplain Brenda Novak found a rose and vase for the occasion and Rosemary Fogarty of the Clarkson Gift Shop decorated it with a bow.

Rev. Joyce Miller in Pastoral Care presided over the ceremony. And Dale’s nurse, Dawn Kaupa, made sure he was ready for his wedding.

A good day

Several of the couple’s friends were in attendance for the ceremony.

“It was a good day,” Dale said with the help of his new bride after they were officially husband and wife. “It was a good day.”