Every year they got closer, but Suzanne Pompili ’04 and Ryan Lucke ’04 had to travel halfway around the world to meet.
At LMU, they must’ve crossed paths. As sophomores, Pompili lived on the fourth floor of Rains Hall; Lucke, on the first floor. The next fall, Pompili lived on the third floor of O’Malley; Lucke, on the first floor. But their proximity got them nowhere.
Then, each decided separately to spend spring semester in Study Abroad in Bonn, Germany. “Slowly, we started to notice each other,” says Pompili. “I liked Ryan’s smile and the fact that he seemed to get along with everyone. Ryan started to notice that he just wanted to be near me.”
For Pompili’s 21st birthday, a small group of students went to Cologne for a weeklong Mardi Gras celebration in all its costumed glory. That night, Pompili’s roommate informed Suzanne that Lucke’s interest was obvious. The next day Pompili and Lucke shared their first kiss: she in a tiger costume; he in a bright red clown wig.
Six years later, on Sept. 26, 2009, they were married. The couple honeymooned in Munich, Germany, and made a side trip to Bonn, where it all began.
John Kissell is a writer and editor in the LMU Division of Marketing, Communications and External Relations.
If you have an unusual story of how you met your spouse, share it with us. We may not be able to print them all, but some will be posted at magazine.lmu.edu. Send your “Love Story” to magazine@lmu.edu.