By Shea Schatell
For John and Molly Beard, love and community have always gone hand in hand.
The longtime Wayland residents recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary, marking seven decades of marriage rooted in family, friendship, conservation, and a deep connection to the town they have called home since 1958.
Now in their 90s, the Beards still finish each other’s thoughts with the easy rhythm of people who have spent a lifetime together. During a recent interview at their home at the Carriage House at Lee’s Farm, John, 94, did much of the storytelling, while Molly, also 94, smiled knowingly beside him, occasionally stepping in with a quiet correction or memory.
The couple first met in college (Molly attended Smith, while John went to Williams). They later reunited while both were studying at Harvard University — Molly in education and John in law. They married on March 31, 1956.
Their first home together was in Arlington, chosen because they believed it would be conveniently located for their summer jobs in Boston. Soon afterward, they began searching for a town with what John described as a “semi-rural environment.” They found it in Wayland.
“We regard ourselves as very lucky in our choice of Wayland,” John said.
When the Beards moved to the corner of Hazelbrook Road in 1958, the area still felt deeply rural. Dairy farms and truck farms dotted the town, and much of the land surrounding their home remained undeveloped. Their historic house, once occupied by a tenant farmer, dates back to around 1800.
Over time, their connection to the land became central to their lives.
Molly served as president of both the Sudbury Valley Trustees board and the Native Plant Trust — formerly known as the New England Wild Flower Society. Together, the couple helped preserve open space around their property near Stone’s Pond by granting a conservation easement that permanently protects the land.
“We can walk on it,” John explained. “But we can’t build a golf hole on it.”
The protected land connects to trail systems and conservation areas extending into neighboring towns, something the couple has cherished for decades through hiking, walking, and cross-country skiing.
“We cross-country skied everywhere we could,” John said.
Family life also flourished in Wayland. The Beards raised five children here, all of whom attended public schools. John said one of the reasons they chose Wayland over neighboring towns was the strong public school system and the sense that most local families participated in it together.
Today, the family has expanded to include 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
The couple also became deeply woven into the community’s social life. They were charter members of the Wayland Swim and Tennis Club and longtime members of First Parish in Wayland.
John built a career as a Boston lawyer specializing in business law, while Molly taught elementary school. The couple recalled a very different era for women teachers: Molly was once not rehired after becoming pregnant because administrators believed pregnancy was “not suitable” for schoolchildren to witness. After her pregnancy, she returned to teaching for several years.
Despite the challenges and changes over the decades, the Beards say the foundation of their long marriage has remained surprisingly simple.
“Play together and work together,” Molly said.
John agreed, adding that shared friendships, common interests, travel, music, and “being very much in love” all helped sustain their relationship.
Even now, humor remains one of their defining traits. At one point during the interview, John joked that if he ever “ditched Molly,” their many mutual friends would never forgive him.
The two still light up while talking about music, travel, skiing, and the many people they have loved through the years. One favorite memory involved John unexpectedly singing “Edelweiss” during a holiday gathering at The Carriage House in Wayland, earning enthusiastic applause from fellow residents.
Asked what advice they would offer younger couples hoping for a long and happy marriage, the Beards did not hesitate.
“Be very much in love,” John said.
After 70 years together, they make it sound both simple and extraordinary.
