Joyce Durrant, 89, who never recovered from a heart attack she suffered in November.
Norwood Thomas has again lost the love of his life.
The 94-year-old is in mourning for Joyce Durrant, 89, who never recovered from a heart attack she suffered in November.
Read: 93-Year-Old WWII Vet Will Jet Into the Arms of His Wartime Sweetheart in Australia
She died earlier this month in Australia and Thomas is bereft.
They were World War II sweethearts in Britain, where Thomas was a parachutist with the 101st Airborne Division. He met Durrant on the Thames, where she and a girlfriend were boating.
Thomas went home to the U.S. when the fighting was over. They both married other people and had children.
For 70 years, they didn’t speak, and then, thanks to the wonders of Skype, they spoke face-to-face, with Thomas in his Virginia Beach, Virginia, house, and Durrant in Adelaide.
That was last December. It was as if no time had passed, and the two picked up where they had left off, albeit with a little less hair that had turned decidedly gray.
In February, he flew to Australia free of charge, thanks to Air New Zealand, and once again held Durrant in his arms.
Read: Running Through Time: 93-Year-Old World War II Vet Completes 3-Year, Coast-to-Coast Run
They took long walks and had wonderful dinners. He returned home already planning a second trip.
"It was probably the greatest event in my life that finally came true," he told CBS affiliate WTVR-TV.
And after Durrant had her heart attack, Thomas called to check on her.
“She had a phone right by her bed and I could talk to her there,” he said.
Despite those calls, Durrant couldn’t overcome the damage done and died December 9.
“I have lost my great love,” Thomas said, wiping away tears.
“When we reunited, the old feelings rejuvenated."
Watch: 93-Year-Old WWII Vet Reunites with Wartime Girlfriend
