An Atlantic City man's message of love to his aunt turned into a Valentine for two dozen locals who have lost their partners.
Elijah Langford was talking to his mother about Valentine's Day plans in 2020, when his thoughts turned to his aunt.
Raymond Davis, a retired Atlantic City police officer, passed away unexpected in December 2019. How, Langford wondered, could he honor his Aunt Yvette?
Then COVID shut everything down, and there was even more loss.
That's when Langford decided to go to his group, Demcats, and plan a loving tribute to those who have lost their spouses.
They figured the perfect date was 2-2-2022.
So, on Tuesday, six men and 18 women were treated to dinner at Doc's Oyster House: "My Better Half: A Celebration of Love."
There they found others who truly understand the depth of their loss.
"Besides my immediate family, that is the most comfort and support I had since Ray passed," Yvette Lea-Davis said.
She sat at a table with other women, reminiscing about their husbands with an unspoken knowledge of one another's grief.
"Most people don't understand," Lea-Davis said of losing a spouse.
"They mean well," she said. "But, unless they're going through it, they have no idea. It was really good to sit down with others who can identify."
It also was a homecoming for Lea-Davis as well.
She and her husband moved to South Carolina just a couple of years before his death. The celebration brought her back to her hometown, where she spent her career working in the Municipal Court.
The timing was perfect, as she was in town for an unseasonably warm day.
"I sat on the Boardwalk the whole day," she said. "I saw old classmates riding their bikes. I got to see a lot of people. It was beautiful."
As for the dinner, she was happy to see what her loss inspired.
"It was nice to not only see my family cared about me, but about so many others," she said.
