There's not much Doris Kaya or Robert Akutagawa remember about their wedding.

And who can blame them after 67 years of marriage?

"All that stuff, I forget already," said Kaya, 88, waving her hand and smiling sweetly.

They do remember one thing: how they met back in 1938.

Akutagawa was working as a painter at Punahou School. Kaya was a maid for then-school president Oscar Shepard.

Kaya was at the kitchen window when she saw a "fresh guy" peering through the window at her.

Akutagawa knew she was his future wife.

"She was the only one," said Akutagawa, who turned 90 yesterday.

During their courtship, Akutagawa would borrow a car to pick up Kaya at her parents' home in McCully. They'd go to the movies in Waikiki or out to dinner.

It wasn't long before that first chance meeting that they wed.

"I had another boyfriend, too," Kaya said, "but Robert was the best in every way. Some (boys) you could tell only thought about themselves. I thought he was the best. From that time on, he was the only one."

The couple were married on March 7, 1939, at the Izumo Taishakyo Mission on Kukui Street downtown.

Akutagawa was dressed in a Western-style suit; Kaya wore a wedding kimono given to her by Akutagawa's family.

"I still have it," Kaya said, smiling.

The newlyweds moved into a small house in Mo'ili'ili. A year later, Kaya gave birth to their daughter, Gwen. Both continued to work at Punahou School until 1941, when the Army Corps of Engineers seized the campus for a military camp.

Akutagawa left his post at Punahou to drive trolleys for the city. Kaya, pregnant with their second child, stayed at home with their year-old daughter.

It was a difficult time, they both recalled. Because of the war, they had to build a bomb shelter in their backyard. Kaya worried that she wouldn't be able to get into it with her swollen belly.

Years later, Akutagawa and Kaya returned to work at Punahou and moved into a Quonset hut, then a three-bedroom home, on Piper's Pali.

Their two children, Gwen and Ralph, grew up at the school, where cows would frequently roam the campus. Both children attended Punahou.

In their down time, they'd go camping in Waimanalo and pick mountain apples.

"Those were the good ol' days," Akutagawa said.

Akutagawa was in charge of the buildings, grounds and security on campus, supervising about 80 employees. Kaya worked for the president, at the girls' dorms and in the girls' locker room.

Kaya retired after 34 years of service. Akutagawa remained at his job until 1984, retiring with the most years of service to the school with 46, according to his family. He's outlived three school presidents and earned the first-ever Old School Award, which recognizes individuals for their contributions to Punahou.

When Akutagawa retired, the school hired four people to do his job.

His philosophy on running a department: "You treat them good, they do their jobs. You trust them, they trust you."

Even today, whenever the Akutagawas visit the campus, they're stopped with handshakes and hugs from staffers.

"Hello, handsome," a former co-worker greeted Akutagawa one recent Wednesday afternoon. "You looking good!"

Akutagawa extended his hand and declared, without solicitation, that he's been married for 67 years.

"Long time, no?" he bragged, with a smile. "Same lady!"

After six decades, two children, five grandkids and eight great-grandchildren, the couple continues to live robust lives. They love to travel and have been to Japan, Germany, China and Alaska. Lately, though, they only head to Las Vegas — sometimes five times a year.

They'll tell you they're not gamblers, but they'll admit to "making deposits" at the casinos downtown, mostly playing craps and slot machines.

"They say, 'Here comes the sucker!' " Akutagawa said, laughing.

Every Tuesday, Kaya goes to an exercise class at the Moiliili Community Center. And up until five years ago, Akutagawa would ride his bike from Mo'ili'ili up Diamond Head and back — every day.

Though Kaya still cooks for her husband — he loves her stew and rice — they eat out most days, usually at Japanese restaurants in the neighborhood.

They've learned that you need to be honest and patient with each other in order to make a marriage last as long as theirs.

After 67 years, though, some things never change. She's still sweet and polite; he's still a little kolohe (mischievous) and drinks two beers a day.

But, they both say, there have been no regrets.

"We stay together, and that's about it," Akutagawa said. "I'm glad I married her. She's a good lady. She's the only one for me."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.