In 1998, when they first met, he was Todd Boren and she was Deborah Lopez. They were both brand new teachers at Shawnee Mission Northwest. He taught freshman world geography, she taught freshman English. He coached boys C team soccer and she coached freshman cheer.
“We had the scandalous teacher romance,” Todd joked.
They were introduced to one another by a fellow teacher when he was coming in from the boys soccer practice and she was sitting with the cheer team.
“I thought, ‘Well, he’s very attractive,’” Deborah said. “‘I bet he’s really smart.’”
“I thought she was really good looking and smart,” Todd said.
At first, they started off as friends.
He had a girlfriend, and she wasn’t looking for a relationship. The cheer team came to the soccer games, and Todd and Deborah saw each other on the sidelines. They had the same planning period, and Todd would come by the English office to say hi.
But in springtime, Todd and his girlfriend broke up.
“We started hanging out,” Todd said. “And then it just kind of evolved.”
They went to the Nelson Atkins Art Museum to see an ancient Egyptian exhibit. They went downtown on the Fourth of July to look at the fireworks. They watched “South Park: The Movie.”
Todd would ride his bike to where Deborah lived by the plaza to go with her to coffee shops and bookstores. J. Gilbert’s was their “nice dinner” restaurant. Across the street, there was a half price books store they would browse after a meal. At the Barnes & Noble on the plaza, Deborah found her favorite book on a date: “On Days Like This” by Dan Quisenberry.
“ cute. Nice. Smart. Everything, even though I wasn’t looking for a relationship.”
On Dec. 19, 2001 — Deborah’s birthday — they were engaged.
Todd asked her parents first.
“No, your dad told you, ‘You better marry that girl or you’ll lose her,’” Deborah said with a laugh.
And get married they did. The date was set for six months later at Village Presbyterian Church. Their reception was held at the restaurant inside Union Station, where people floated in and out all evening. Deborah threw her bouquet of white roses off a balcony 20 feet in the air.
And, for 28 years, they’ve been Todd Boren and Deborah Lopez-Boren.
“We’ve never not worked together,” Deborah said.
Now they work down the hall from one another. Even though they’re both teachers at Northwest, they don’t see each other all the time. They only cross paths occasionally in the hall, or when one specifically goes to find the other.
“Even though we don’t see each other, it’s a great feeling knowing that he’s just down the hall,” Deborah said. “I love it.”
“I’m really proud of you,” she said.
“Well, I’m proud of you too,” Todd said. “She pushes me to be a better teacher.”
Deborah looked at him with a smile. “It’s definitely the other way around.”
