As part of our Women's History Month coverage that focuses on the gender pay gap, NY1's Cheryl Wills found a couple on Staten Island, married for 65 years, who both worked hard to make ends meet. She filed the following report.

Sixty-five years ago, Robert and Jean Gardner fell head over heels in love.

"We met each other at the roller rink, and we've been going around in circles ever since," Jean Gardner says.

Robert Gardner is 91, a World War II veteran. Jean is 86. In the mid-1940s, cultural norms dictated that Robert should be the breadwinner, but Jean got a job as one of eight female clerks for New York Telephone. She made pennies compared to the 100 male engineers.  

"Of course, yes. That's the way it was in those days," she says.

After taking time off to raise their child, Jean returned to the workforce and noticed that women were gradually being paid higher wages.  Eventually, the tables turned, and she became the breadwinner.   

"I had no choice, really," Robert Gardner says. "It didn't bother me."

"Some of the women work just as hard as the men do, and I say that half the women even work harder because of the fact that they have children," Jean Gardner says.

But a 2014 study by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer shows that the average woman in New York City working full-time still earns only 82 percent of the average man. Nationwide, the gap is even wider.

Helene Lerner runs a website called womenworking.com, and she's the author of "The Confidence Myth." She says the gender pay gap is narrowing, but there is still more work that needs to be done.

"It will take a while for cultures in businesses to change. but that doesn't mean that we don't look at ourselves and say, 'Wait a second. Did I ask for that raise?'" Lerner says.

After going around in circles, Jean and Robert Gardner are now even steven.  For the last 25 years, they've been volunteering at Staten Island Univeristy Hospital. They were recently recognized by The United Hospital Fund for their service. They don't get a check for all of their hard work, but they are paying forward a lifetime of love.

"It feels good to be recognized by anyone, when you come right down to it," Robert Gardner says.