Two widows, once married to same man, wed months later
What's the story
Deb "Bo" Dimon and Wendy Ishii tied the knot recently. In a unique turn of events, the two women were both married to the late professor Douglas Ishii at different times, per The Denver Gazette. Dimon was married to Douglas from 2018 until his death in April 2025, while Ishii was married to him for 35 years from 1982 until their divorce in 2017.
Estate division
How it all began
Douglas, a renowned professor of Biomedical Sciences and Physiology at Colorado State University, died without a will. His estate included six rental properties in Ishii's name. Despite their differences, Ishii and Dimon found themselves together at attorney Drake Johnson's office to figure out how to divide Douglas's assets. "Doug's obvious wish was that both women would be financially taken care of throughout their lives," Johnson said.
Asset division
A legal joke turned into reality
Ishii proposed dividing Douglas's assets equally for their children and grandchildren. Johnson then jokingly suggested that they get married for real to simplify the legal process. To everyone's surprise, Ishii and Dimon took the suggestion seriously and decided to marry each other. They exchanged vows on January 4 in Ishii's living room with friends and family present.
Shared grief
A unique bond
Both women had a vial of Douglas's ashes at their wedding and believe he was with them in spirit. "We have a unique bond. We were both married to the same wonderful man," Dimon said. Ishii added that she wanted to know Dimon better since they both loved Douglas.