By MARGO HORNER, The Mirror

Bob Piquette’s habit of collecting old radios, printers and other electronics can be tiresome at times.

His wife, Joann, will sometimes pile the clutter in the middle of the room, hoping Bob will take it somewhere — anywhere to get it out of the house. But Bob just pushes the items back against the wall and leaves them there.

There are at least five unused boom-boxes, three unused printers and an unused computer monitor on the floor at the Piquettes’ Federal Way home.

Joann laughs as she tells the story. After 46 happy years of marriage, the couple has learned to not fuss about the little things.

“You just have to think ‘OK, how important is that?’” Joann said.

Perhaps their ability to overlook minor irritants is one of the reasons Bob and Joann have sustained a long, satisfying relationship. Another reason is the couple’s ability to laugh together. Joann said she knew Bob was the one she would marry after talking to him on the phone and discovering his sense of humor.

“We had several conversations over the phone and he was so funny. He had a great voice,” Joann said. “I thought ‘I’ve got to meet this guy.’”

Bob was impressed by Joann. A smart, independent woman, Joann owned a house on Redondo Beach that she purchased herself. She was known by business associates as being somewhat feisty. They called her “Tiger.”

Within three months, the pair were married.

Today, the couple enjoy attending musicals and Seattle Symphony pops concerts. They also maintain their own individual interests. Bob is an active member of the Kiwanis and a social group of men that meet for coffee every day at the Poverty Bay deli in Federal Way. Joann volunteers with the city and is president of the Federal Way Coalition of Performing Arts.

The Piquettes disagree about politics. He’s a Republican and she’s an independent leaning toward the Democratic side. They will vote for different presidential candidates this year. She likes Barack Obama and he likes John McCain.

“We don’t talk about it a lot just because we don’t see things the same way,” Joann said.

Differing political views don’t get in the way of Bob and Joann’s marriage.

“There are more important things in life,” Bob said.

The important things are that Bob and Joann enjoy each other’s company. And they love each other.

Still today, 46 years after they married, Bob tries to do little things to surprise Joann. When she stepped out for a moment during lunch on Friday, he confessed with a hushed voice and a glint in his eye. There was a surprise waiting for Joann when she got home — a brand new storm door that she had been wishing for.

“Oh, she’s going to love that door. It’s got a nice golden handle. I try to do stuff like that to surprise her,” Bob said. “I do a lot of stuff without telling her. It drives her crazy.”

Contact Margo Horner: mhorner@fedwaymirror.com or (253) 925-5565.