Nestled among live oaks and crepe myrtles, Margarite B. Parker Chapel is a beacon for spiritual life at Trinity. Its location at the end of an open plaza, tucked behind Murchison Tower, is reminiscent of O’Neil Ford’s vision of an Italian village. Since its 1966 dedication, dozens of the 1,833 couples who found each other while at Trinity have opted to tie the knot beneath its stunning vaulted ceilings. With an incredible pipe organ and windows opening to a peaceful meditation garden, Tigers across generations have made vows to their forever loves in Parker Chapel.
The Chapel's First Tiger "I Do"s
Linda Hawthorne Ruhmann ’66, M’81 and Bill Ruhmann ’67
B.A. in Psychology, Master of Education | B.A. in Sociology
San Antonio, Texas
On July 16, 1966, then 22-year-old Linda Hawthorne all but floated down the sparkling aisle of the newly constructed Margarite B. Parker Chapel on her way to happily ever after. “It felt like a beautiful dream,” recalls the former Gamma Chi Delta president of her dream wedding to Chi Delta Tau sweetheart, Bill Ruhmann. “We had our Gamma and Delt friends by our side when we promised our hearts to each other, and it was perfect.” Now both 73, they were the first Trinity couple to say “I do” in the Chapel—but they certainly weren’t the last. It was “so romantic, and we highly recommend it!” says Hawthorne, who was a professor of early childhood studies at San Antonio College for 30 years. “Look at me and Bill! Married in the Chapel and just as in love as the day we met.” The couple, who have a daughter and two grandchildren, were neighbors in Terrell Hills and high school sweethearts before both attending Trinity, where they got engaged in the fall of 1965. But shortly after getting married in front of 250 close friends and family, Ruhmann joined the military and served in Vietnam for a year. “I missed him dearly, but we wrote each other love letters,” says Hawthorne. “We still read them, reminiscing about happy times, like the wedding.” Ruhmann, a retired human resources vice president, says it was the best day of his life: “We never have and never will forget our vows or marriage day in Parker Chapel.”
Beautiful and Simple
Kristen Male Tinker M’93 and Mark Tinker ’91
M.A. in Teaching | B.S. in Geology
Merritt Island, Florida
Mark and Kristen Tinker can still hear the “elegant, crisp” sound of their three-man brass wedding band reverberating across Parker Chapel on their big day. “It was beautiful and simple—just like our love,” recalls Male, 47, a holistic health coach. “We grew up together and fell in love at Trinity, so getting married on campus was symbolic.” The Spur met her Omega Phi husband during a physics tutoring session, but it wasn't exactly love at first sight for the duo. “I mean, it totally was for me,” admits Tinker, 48, a technology CEO. “But it took six months for me to woo her and get her to pay attention to me in that way.” And his efforts paid off! Almost five years after meeting, the couple, who have three children together, wed on July 3, 1993. Afterward, their 125 guests gathered at the Koehler House for a beautiful reception. Says Male: “The Chapel is such a big part of Trinity, and Trinity means so much to us that it brought beauty to our big day in the most special way.”
Just Like Home
Satchie Leighton Seidlits ’11 and Curtis Lee Seidlits ’10
B.S. in Economics | B.S. in Economics
Austin, Texas
Satchie Leighton and Lee Seidlits always want to remember the magical moment they said “I do” on May 31, 2014—so they relive it from time to time. “I've gone back to the Chapel, walked down the aisle and stood at the altar just to remember the best day of our lives,” says Leighton, 28, a former member of the Loon-E Crew dance team. “With that elegant, classic look and feel, its beauty speaks for itself—especially with that gorgeous organ!” The elementary school teacher’s wedding to Seidlits, 29, was made even more special considering her own baptism took place in the Chapel and the Rev. Stephen Nickle is a close family friend. “Trinity is like home, and it played a huge part in our story,” says Leighton, who went on a first date with her future husband, now an attorney, to a Trinity play her junior year. “The Chapel was perfect for our wedding, and it just felt right to be married there.”
A Fairytale Beginning
Allison Huseman Mickey ’13 and Steven Mickey ’13
B.S. in Business Administration - Marketing | B.S. in Business Administration - Finance
Houston, Texas
It was love at first-year seminar for Allison Huseman and Steven Mickey. The newlyweds, who recently returned from a romantic, jet-set honeymoon in Italy, met on the first day of classes in 2009—and they haven't looked back since. Huseman, a member of Gamma Chi Delta, and Mickey, former Chi Delta Tau vice president, spent seven sweet years “falling more and more in love” before tying the knot in front of 225 close Trinity friends and family on March 25, 2017. "Seeing Allison in her dress for the first time, walking down the Chapel’s aisle, my mind just went blank,” gushes Mickey, 27, who works in oil and gas finance. “Delts historically have a close relationship with clergy on campus, so the Chapel has a special place in my heart.” The newlyweds’ ceremony was officiated by the Rev. Stephen Nickle, who “did an absolutely amazing job with the personalized homily,” says Huseman, 26, a communications specialist at Baylor College of Medicine. “Trinity is where our fairytale started, and we wouldn't have had our wedding anywhere else."