Cris Alexander, Shaun O'Brien Die Two Weeks Apart After 62 Years Together

Celebrated portrait photographer and Broadway actor Cris Alexander died earlier this month at the age of 92, less than two weeks after his partner of 62 years, famed former New York City Ballet dancer Shaun O'Brien, 86, passed from natural causes.

The couple moved in together in 1993 in Saratoga Springs, New York, and tied the knot in 2011 when same-sex became legal in New York state.

Jane Klain, a friend of Alexander, told The New York Times: "If there is a cause of death [for Alexander], it’s a broken heart. It’s as simple as that."

Alexander and O'Brien had an "ice cream party" together every day at 4:30 p.m., reports The Times.

This isn't the first time long-married partners have died in close succession. Research has shown that couples who sleep next to each other for decades often develop similar (sometimes identical) heart rhythms, which can be interrupted when one partner dies, causing the other to pass soon after.

Click through the slideshow below to read more incredible stories of long-lasting love.