Former BJ photographer Ott Gangl and wife Ann are celebrating their 63^rd wedding anniversary. They live in Uniontown.

They were married in Akron’s St. Bernard Church by Father Wolfe, who performed the ceremony in German, Ott’s native language, because the priest wanted to practice his German.

Ott exudes: “It’s still a blast being married to that girl.”

“Blast” and “Ott” belong in the same sentence.

Ott is equally at ease at a raucous Oktoberfest Festival, in a roomful of models during a photo shoot or going naked while photographing a nudist colony.

Ott worked his way through Ann’s family of females before winding up with her.

Let Ott explain:

“I came over on the same converted Liberty Boat from Germany as Ann’s cousin on April 20, 1952. So while visiting I was introduced to the family with three young and beautiful daughters.

"I dated the older one for a while and then went to the middle one, Ann, to whom I got enamored while sitting in their living room waiting for Mary to fiddle with her makeup.

"After Mary dumped me I didn't miss a beat to date Ann. We got engaged in 1954 and a year later we got married.”

Ott surviving ethnic cleansing in Yugoslavia as the 12-year-old child of German parents in World War II.

Ott and Ann haven’t switched from the accelerator to the brakes yet.