Exclusive: 50 Years Later, Photographer Wants To See Wedding Photos Delivered

We all do spring cleaning of some sort, coming upon old things as we good through boxes of memories past.

Charles J. Hoye, formerly of Levittown, was doing just that recently, in the process of “downsizing,” as he called it, when he came upon a stack of old wedding photos.

The former editor, of the now-defunct Levittown-based Evening Press during the 1950s, said he used to do “side work” back then as a photographer and wants to locate the family, or family members, that are in the wedding images from “sometime in the 50s.”

“My memory isn’t what it used to be,” he said, “but what I hope to do is get these photos to the couple or their family.”

Now, the search is on to locate the couple or members of the family in order to fulfill a commitment he made decades ago.

Late Monday night, LevittownNow.com became aware of Hoye’s quest when he and his daughter-in-law posted a picture of the couple on our Facebook page.

In conversation with Hoye, whose e-mail address humorously contains “Old Newsie” in it, he went back some 50 odd years in time to describe the circumstances surrounding the lost and now undelivered photos.

On the back of a business card he found with the old images is the name Leroy Arden from Levittown’s Goldenridge area, he said.

“I also have an address on the card that says 2 Goldenridge Dr. I remember the couple married in a church in Langhorne.”

A neighborhood resident said late Tuesday night that the house at the 2 Goldenridge address has been occupied for a while now.

There are additional pictures, Hoye said.

One is of the bride taken alone in front of a Fairless Hills home on Austin Dr. He thinks the address is either 305 or 405.

“I think her name is Marilyn,” Hoye said.

With the assistance of his daughter in law, Barbara L. McCombs-Hoye, they sent LevittownNow.com three of the images he snapped on that special day for the unidentified couple.

During our discussion going over the history of news organizations in Lower Bucks County, an additional nugget of information came to fruition. Hoye, who laughingly stated his memory was failing him because he’s now 90, said he moved into the area in 1952 and was here for about 10 years.

Additionally, McCombs-Hoye said she used to stitch dresses years ago and the wedding gown the bride is wearing was in style in the late 40s and early 50s.

What Hoye asks is simple: If you had family living in the area during the 50s, show the photographs to those family members and ask if they recognize anyone. If someone can distinguish someone  in the images you are asked to please send an e-mail to news@levittownnow.com.

“I really do want to finally deliver the pictures,” Hoye said, as we ended our chat that stretched thousands of miles and a lifespan.

By Jeff Bohen