Rene and Laughlin Barker first met in 1938 at Santa Fe High School, then were reunited during World War II in San Francisco and have been together ever since.

The Barkers celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary last month. "We just got to know each other when I was living on Camino de las Animas and Laughlin lived on De Vargas Street," said 87-year-old Rene. Both Rene and Laughlin, 88, share a love for Santa Fe, just like other members of their families.

Laughlin's grandfather, N.B. Laughlin, traveled on horseback to Santa Fe from Texas right after the Civil War; he served as a Territorial Supreme Court judge in the early 1900s. William Judson Barker, Laughlin's father, also worked in the judicial system as a district judge for the state of New Mexico in the 1940s. Rene's father, Leo McClatchy, was a newspaperman from San Francisco who came to Santa Fe in 1936 to work for the National Park Service.

Rene and Laughlin Barker agree that they were truly blessed to have met at the old Santa Fe High. That first meeting at the school on Lincoln Avenue led to their marriage and a family of five children, 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

"We were so fortunate to have been educated at Santa Fe High. Back then, the school offered courses in Latin, music and theater, and they had a great sports program. The students, teachers and the administration played an important part in the community. Everything was so close together that we were able to go home for lunch each day," Rene said.

After graduating in 1938, Laughlin attended the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell for a year and was then nominated by Gov. John Dempsey to attend the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

Rene, who had graduated from Santa Fe High in 1940, was in San Francisco visiting family when Laughlin's ship came into port and they were reunited. Their courtship lasted through the end of World War II, and they were married in Sausalito, Calif., on June 2, 1945.

The young couple traveled the world while Laughlin completed his military career. They lived in Naples, Italy, and were also stationed in Norfolk, Va., San Diego and Monterey, Calif., and Corpus Christi, Texas. Their son Patrick was born in Naples. When Laughlin completed his military career, the Barkers returned to Santa Fe.

In 1965, while Rene cared for the children, Laughlin founded Barker Realty, where he was instrumental in recreating the Plaza.

"I spent a lot of time working with the city in revitalizing the businesses around San Francisco Street," Laughlin said.

Today, in the Barker tradition, their son David and his wife, Lisa, operate the real-estate business and are active in the urban renewal of the Santa Fe Railyard, where they maintain an office.

Rene and Laughlin have fond memories of their early days in Santa Fe.

"When I was 12, I rode on horseback with my father across Atalaya Mountain to the Pecos Valley," Laughlin recalled.

Now that the couple are retired, they spend their time enjoying all of the cultural activities that Santa Fe has to offer and travel to visit family members in Colorado, Florida and Connecticut. But they'll never forget that it was Santa Fe High that brought them together.

Ana Pacheco is the founder and publisher of La Herencia, a culture and history magazine (www.herencia.com, 505-474-2800). Her weekly tribute to our community elders appears every Tuesday.