When Frank Tutzauer mistook his wife, Carol, for another girl and tugged on her hair, they could never have predicted ending up together forever.
Frank, head of the communications department and Carol, a communications professor, have been married for 33 years now. High school sweethearts, the two are intellectual matches and best friends.
"She shared a locker with someone and I mistook her for the other person and tugged on her hair," Frank said. "She gave me this laser look, and we've been together ever since."
The couple shares an exceptional closeness, boasting the same career changes and academic pursuits over the years. After graduating from the same high school, they attended the same college in Kansas. The two went on to land spots as Northwestern University's debate team coaches, affording them a free ride to graduate school - together.
Upon earning their doctorates, they followed each other to various universities along the east coast before securing jobs at UB.
Much to the chagrin of their parents they married young, something they have never regretted.
"We ran away to get married. Our parents thought we were ruining our lives," Carol said. "We had the last laugh though," Frank added.
The two are still best friends who can finish each other's sentences.
"It's like we're one person," Frank said. "She sometimes has a thought that I already had, or vice versa, without even saying it."
They say the secret to their marriage is the ability to make each other laugh. Carol says even their flaws compliment each other.
"We're best friends, and we have a lot of fun together," Carol said. "Everything we do together we enjoy doing together."
Being together since they were teenagers hasn't dampened their romance any. The two say their most romantic night together was during the October Storm last semester. Despite the power outages, they traveled to their favorite restaurant in Fort Erie for Carol's birthday dinner.
"The restaurant had no power, so they set up candles on our table, and they catered just to us," Frank said. "We almost didn't go because of the storm, but we did anyway and I'm really glad. I'll never forget it."
They recently bought a new house in Wilson and spend their spare time caring for a large hoard of foster animals. They describe themselves as nothing less than soul mates.
"You don't get to 33 years without that," Frank said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
