This Tweeted Photo is Worth a Thousand Words: Elderly Widower Keeps Photo of His Beloved on His Table While He Dines

Aimee Herd : Oct 31, 2014
ABC/Good Morning America

"They were married instantly, and it lasted for 55 years until she passed. He takes her photo everywhere."

(California)—It's become the viral photo-of-the-week, and the story to go with it is even more moving... (Photo via Twitter)

While Madina Bashizaduah was enjoying a meal at an In-N-Out burger last week, she casually snapped a photo of the elderly gentleman seated behind her. That photo quickly went viral, garnering at least 13,000 favorites and over 8,000 retweets.

The picture shows the man eating his food with a photo of his deceased wife—the love of his life—propped in front of him.

"I didn't speak to the gentleman myself because of how emotional I got from seeing him with her picture, but I was able to overhear his conversations with everyone else," Madina told ABC News.

The man turned out to be John Silva; he lost his wife, Hilda, five years ago.

Lorena Ippolito, a family friend, later told KPIX John's story... He met Hilda during one of his minor league baseball practices in Massachusetts when he was just 17.

"The ball rolled across the field and made its way to Hilda's feet, and then John took one look and said that's it... he told her, 'I'm going to take you out. I'm going to marry you someday.'"

When John was later deployed in the war, he never forgot the woman he'd met and upon his return, he began a search that reportedly lasted for 10 years.

Madina repeated what she'd overheard at the In-N-Out, saying, "...one day, he was telling his barber the story, and the barber calls his daughter in and it ends up being her," Madina told ABC News.

"They were married instantly," she added, "and it lasted for 55 years until she passed. He takes her photo everywhere." (Photo via Twitter)

Lorena says of John's photo, She's always there with him. It's like they're not really separated."

John had some wonderful bits of wisdom to share with those who spoke with him, he said:

"I was a very rich man. Not with money, but with love."

"I never had a single argument with my wife, but we had lots of debates."

"Tell your wife that you love her every day. And be sure to ask her: Have I told you that I love you lately?"