Dennis and I met several years ago through his brother, Bishop Gary Shearer. Gary was ill, but whenever I visited, he would FaceTime Dennis or if Dennis happened to call, Gary always answered with excitement, saying, “Sister Liz is here!”

As Gary’s illness progressed, Dennis began visiting Cincinnati more often from Richmond, KY. During one of my visits, Dennis walked into Gary’s room, and we finally met in person. He later told me that, in that moment, he thought to himself, “I just met my wife.”

Shortly after Gary’s passing, Dennis reached out to check on me. Several months later, he contacted me again on Facebook. After a few lengthy conversations about our dating experiences, both on and offline, which we joked were like a trip to the zoo
Dennis suggested we meet for lunch or dinner.
At the time, I had concluded I would remain single. I was embracing it, so I had planned several trips for the year. I told Dennis I’d check my calendar, but I hoped we could meet within the month because I was leaving town in just a couple of days.
But then I paused and thought, Wait a minute
this man is seeking to find—maybe a month is too long. I called him back and said, “If you can meet tomorrow, I can come. The rest of my week is full.” He was so excited and immediately said yes. He later told me he was disappointed at the idea of waiting a month and thought he may have missed his chance.
Our first date was March 26, 2025, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. This past year has been amazing, and I thank God for my Sweetie- Pie (I so fondle call him)
We look forward to spending the rest of our lives together, living our best lives.