John W. Adkisson | The Roanoke Times

Surrounded by relatives, Dick, 70, and Loretta McGarry, 68, who have been married 50 years, renew their wedding vows at Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church on Sunday.

Ricky, Timmy, Lori, Geri, Chris, Patti, Denise, Sharon, Kathy, Kim, Billy, Steven, Erin, Greg, Kevin, Kristen and Matthew.

Happy Father's Day, Dick McGarry.

But this weekend's McGarry family reunion in Roanoke wasn't all about dad. The 63 relatives gathered to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Dick McGarry and the woman who endured 17 pregnancies over about 24 years and raised the huge family in a house that had six bedrooms and one bathroom -- Loretta McGarry.

"I always wanted 13 and I was extra blessed," said the 68-year-old grandmother of 31. "But I would have liked 20, to tell you the truth."

The couple renewed their vows Sunday at Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church in Roanoke County.

Near the end of the church's 11:30 a.m. Mass, Monsignor Joseph Lehman called the congregation's attention to the couple and the dozens of relatives who took up seats behind them.

"Lord increase and consecrate the love which Dick and Loretta have for one another," he said, after asking for the couple's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to stand. "May they continue to prosper in the grace of the sacrament."

After Mass, Dick McGarry held court with relatives, cracking jokes, and telling stories.

"One of the reasons we stayed together so long was because I couldn't afford the child support," he said, laughing.

Ricky McGarry, the oldest of the children and a lawyer, spoke admiringly about how his father made sure anyone who wanted to go to college could. Most of the children went to Roanoke Catholic School. Their father volunteered for bus driving duties to get a discount on tuition.

"He's given up an awful lot for this family," McGarry said.

It was Loretta McGarry's idea to renew their vows, but they had no clue the occasion would blossom into such a massive event, organized by their children. Sixty-three family members came to Our Lady of Nazareth and then packed The Club at Heatherwood in Boones Mill for a reception Sunday afternoon.

"Just like every other idea in this family, it kind of takes on a life of its own," Ricky McGarry said.

Photos of the family were scattered on the tables as relatives hugged, ate and mingled. The childhoods of the McGarrys' progeny -- from 49-year-old Ricky to 26-year-old Matthew -- spanned the Polaroid era and various fashion fads.

The couple live in the same home in the Penn Forest neighborhood of Roanoke County that they moved to in 1967 -- with two bathrooms now. Dick McGarry, 70, is a toxicologist and pharmacist. Loretta McGarry was a nurse when she wasn't busy being a stay-at-home mom. But now she's back at home where she spends time looking after grandkids. Most of the family has stayed nearby.

When asked if she had any advice for managing a large family, she said she didn't have any special ability or secrets.

"I'm not a good manager," she said. "My mother used to tell me God watches out for those can't watch out for themselves. I put myself in that group."

At the reception the children seemed to organize themselves, taking turns at the buffet and keeping track of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren (two and counting).

Matthew McGarry, a rising senior at Roanoke College, said the home he grew up in was like a hotel at times, but the family managed to stay close despite its size. The controlled chaos at Sunday's reception didn't seem to faze him as he waited for his turn to approach the buffet.

"This is how we used to have dinner," he said. "We'd have to get up in shifts."