Morris & Kelly Capouya The secret to a successful marriage just might be to marry your best friend.

This month’s cover profile is Morris and Kelly Capouya, empty nesters except for their 2 cats and a dog, have been married 31+ years. They have worked together in their family travel business, raised their family together and have even fixed a broken washing maching together! Morris and Kelly have unique skill sets and that allows them to work together as a team and according to Kelly, the secret to a successful marriage may be just to marry your best friend. It has worked for them and their family. This year they are working to bring back the Jewish Food Festival which takes place on Sunday, February 26th from 10 am – 2 pm. Morris and Kelly are part of the congregation of Temple Beth Or, serving in leadership roles and helping to share their Jewish heritage and traditions with the River Region during this year’s Jewish Food Festival. Be sure to take time and experience all the food, shopping and culture that awaits. We enjoyed getting to know Morris and Kelly, a true blessing, we hope you’ll enjoy getting to know them as well. Thanks for sharing!

BOOM!: Please give us a brief biography, i.e. are you from the Montgomery area, did you raise your family here, schools, marriage, family, etc?

Kelly: Born in Montgomery, I was raised in Prattville. After graduating high school, I moved to Montgomery and pursued a college degree at AUM while working at a local accounting firm where I met my best friend and now husband of 31+ years. We have three beautiful children: Jonathan, an Account Executive in Construction Services-Surety Underwriting at Travelers, who is married to Caroline, an Interior Designer, who live in Birmingham; Abi, a traveling Children’s CVICU nurse currently working in Phoenix, AZ and Isabella, a sophomore in the school of Interior Design at the University of Alabama. Our children all attended the Montgomery Academy.

at a local accounting firm, Bern, Butler, Capilouto & Massey, before joining my family’s travel business. I had

Morris: Born and raised in Montgomery; attended Montgomery Academy before attending the University of Alabama to receive an accounting degree. I worked for seven years the privilege of growing up and living in Montgomery where I was blessed to have the support and love of greatgrandparents, grandparents, and parents during my formative years.

BOOM!: You own and operate Total Sports Travel which has been a leader in the industry for many years, could you share how you got involved with sports travel and what services you offer college sports fans and donors? Do you travel with the groups? What’s the most rewarding part of what you do?

Morris/Kelly: In 1994 Kelly was already working in the family travel business with my parents when they asked me to join them. What began as a fullservice travel company, Fair Winds Travel, was growing rapidly and they needed someone who could assist them with managing the financial and administrative functions for the company. As a certified public accountant, I was uniquely qualified to fill that role.

Total Sports Travel began as a small division of Fair Winds Travel operating trips to football bowl games for Alabama and Auburn fans. Total Sports Travel has grown from Alabama and Auburn football fan trips to operating a variety of sports events for fans and donors of several SEC schools and even a few schools outside the SEC. We offer packages that can involve chartered air service, hotel accommodations, transportation to and from the sports event, as well as tickets to those events. Along with our employees who travel, Kelly and I have enjoyed traveling with these groups off and on for the past 30+ years (between children and life). The most rewarding part of the business is the people we meet and the long-lasting relationships we make.

BOOM!: You’re both members of Temple Beth Or and one of their great outreaches to the River Region is the Jewish Food Festival, which is returning on Sunday, February 26, can you share more about this special event and what it means to the cultural landscape of Montgomery?

Morris/Kelly: The Jewish Food Festival was originally developed as a way for our congregation to perform outreach into the Greater Montgomery community by giving our members an opportunity to share our Jewish heritage and traditions through traditional Jewish foods prepared by our members, song and music by our Cantor, Turia Stark and religious discussions led by Rabbi Looper. All the food served and sold is made by our members from recipes handed down from generation to generation. In addition to the delicious foods, we have a Treasure Market chock full of items that have been donated by our members. The Food Festival is a wonderful opportunity for the community to experience Temple Beth

Or where they may not otherwise have that opportunity.

BOOM!: Since Valentine’s Day is around the corner would you share with our readers your love story, how you met and some of the secrets to your marriage success?

Kelly: We met while working at a local accounting firm; Kelly was working her way through school and Morris was doing an Accounting Internship. We became fast friends. Whether we were driving to the lake after work for some skiing, taking weekend trips with friends, or just hanging out doing a whole lot of nothing… we spent a lot of time together. And then one day the “bye, see ya later” turned into a good night kiss and the rest is history. The secret to a successful marriage just might be to marry your best friend.

Morris: Kelly and I complement each other well. We have different skill sets that allow us to work as a team whether raising kids, hosting a dinner party, traveling with a group, or repairing a broken washing machine. Seriously, we did this!

BOOM!: What is it about living in the Montgomery/ River Region that you like? What do we need more of?

Morris/Kelly: Having visited many places around the country and the world I think the best thing about living here is the closeness of everything and everyone. We both have family here in Montgomery and Prattville and we still have childhood friends who live here. It’s bigger than it was when we were kids but there’s still that “small-town” feeling of everybody knows everybody. And just as importantly, you can get anywhere you want in Montgomery in less than thirty minutes. We do feel that Montgomery needs more local dining establishments.

BOOM!: Do you have time to be involved in community and/or civic organizations?

Morris/Kelly: Now that we are Empty-Nesters (except for 2 cats and a dog), Kelly has a little more time on her hands for community involvement. Morris has been involved with Temple Beth Or as an officer or a Board Member for the past 20 years in addition to being involved with other local civic organizations. He is currently the Board Chairman for the Jackson Hospital Foundation and is a member of the Hospital’s finance committee.

BOOM!: What are you most passionate about?

Morris/Kelly: Family

BOOM!: What are some of your favorite travel experiences? Favorite vacation spot? Any travel dreams planned?

Morris/Kelly: Traveling abroad is always a favorite. There are just so many places rich with history and varying cultures. We probably don’t have a favorite vacation spot. Travel has always been most appreciated when we travel with our children. It’s a family affair. This past summer we enjoyed a family trip to Greece and visited the Isle of Rhodes where Morris’s paternal grandfather and paternal greatgrandmother were born. This summer we will be traveling to tour around Northern Italy and experience a Formula 1 race while we are there. During the winter, we usually travel to Colorado or Utah to get our annual snow skiing fix.

BOOM!: Do you have any hobbies or other activities that grab your attention?

Morris/Kelly: While we both play tennis and Morris loves golf, we have both jumped into the pickleball craze. It’s so much fun.

BOOM!: As you’ve aged, how have your priorities changed? How would you describe what it means to “age well”?

Morris/Kelly: Work hard, play harder. As we’ve aged, we’ve realized the importance of saying “yes” to us and

“no” to things that don’t really matter. Work no longer consumes us and taking a nap in the middle of the day is okay! We have learned that we must carefully maintain our health and practice habits that will lead to less stress and better overall health. Sound mind and body.

BOOM!: How do you like to relax and wind down from a full day of activity?

Kelly: Love to needlepoint. I am usually stitching some little something for one of the kids and occasionally something for myself.

Morris: I enjoy reading or watching videos to learn, relax, or fall asleep.

BOOM!: With a busy life, how do you like to spend time with family and friends?

Morris/Kelly: Food…gathering for a meal with family and friends is a wonderful way to spend time together whether it is at a local restaurant, at our home in Montgomery or Lake Martin or in Birmingham with one or all of the children. Sitting around a table without your cell phone leads to great conversation and lots of laughter.

BOOM!: What are some of the future challenges you’re contemplating for yourself?

Kelly: I would love to spend more time at the lake and more time needlepointing as well as doing volunteer work in the community.

Morris: More efficiently managing the use of my time among my family, my business, community endeavors and outside interests.

BOOM!: Many people, as they age, experience a renewed sense of purpose, new goals, etc. How would you describe this sense of renewal in your life?

Any advice for the rest of us seeking renewal? What are your thoughts on a future retirement?

Morris/Kelly: Our sense of renewal comes from having an empty nest; from the time Jonathan was born in 1993 until Isabella went away to college in 2021 there was a child in our home…now it’s just the two of us. We can do more things together while also having time just to ourselves. Future retirement? Retirement is different for everyone. We already feel semi-retired having raised three beautiful, well-rounded, and successful children. With two off the payroll and the last one graduating in 2025, we will be retired from that job. We will likely continue working and traveling with Total Sports Travel until we can’t.

BOOM!: Kelly and Morris, give us three words that describe you? Your marriage?

Us: Happy, Content, Alive! Marriage: Love, Balance, Trust

Morris and Kelly taveling with family to Athens, Greece

We want to thank Morris and Kelly for sharing some of their life's story with us this month. If you’re ready to take in the Jewish Food Festival this year, mark your calendar for February 26, 10 am - 2 pm. To learn more visit www.templebethor.net Montgomery has a wonderful culture and the JFF is an excellent example, enjoy the experience! We hope you’ll share Morris and Kelly's story with friends and family, they’ll enjoy the reading experience. Thanks to DiAnna Paulk and her creative photography skills, you're the best! If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about our cover profiles, including nominating someone, please text them to Jim Watson at 334.324.3472 or email them to jim@riverregionboom.com