Couple who were married for 75 years died just hours apart as they held hands in bed

Jeanette Toczko, 96, and her 95-year-old husband, Alexander Toczko, from San Diego, California, died just hours apart as they held hands in bed.

The pair spent their lives in love after becoming boyfriend and girlfriend when they were only eight years old. 

But several weeks ago, Mr Toczko suffered a broken hip in a fall and was left bed-bound. A local hospice delivered a special bed to his home, which staff pushed up next to his beloved wife's bed.

As Mr Toczko's condition quickly declined, Mrs Toczko's own health took a turn for the worse. The couple had always said they wished to die 'in their own bed, holding hands, in each other's arms'.

"She kept asking us, 'What is today, what is today?' We said it was June. She said it's June 29th, and June 29th is their 75th wedding anniversary," said Toczko-Cushman.

The family went along with it, buying balloons and flowers to celebrate, in bed.

 
"And we said happy anniversary, and my mother was thrilled to death because it was their anniversary and she knew that he was going and that they had made it to 75 years," said Toczko-Cushman.
 

The couple's daughter, Aimee Toczko-Cushman, described the moment she told her mother she had lost her husband, who kept a photo of Mrs Toczko at her Holy Communion in his wallet.

'I told my mother he was gone,'. 'She hugged him and she said, "See this is what you wanted. You died in my arms and I love you. I love you, wait for me, I'll be there soon".

The family left, leaving the couple to share their final moments together.

"Even the hospice nurse said it was the most incredible thing to see the two of them taking those last breaths together," Toczko-Cushman said.

"I knew she wasn't go to last too much longer," Toczko said

"And he died in her arms, which is exactly what he wanted. I went in there and told my mother he was gone; she hugged him and she said, 'See this is what you wanted. You died in my arms and I love you. I love you, wait for me, I'll be there soon,'" said Toczko-Cushman. "It was tough," said Toczko.

The couple who were married for 75 years have fulfilled their final wish to die in each other's arms after they passed away clutching hands, within hours of each other, in their bed.

About 24 hours later, it became time for Jeanette to join her husband.

"They both entered the pearly gates holding hands," said Toczko.

The Toczkos have since been buried.

Alexander Toczko was a World War II veteran.