James Obergefell (pictured) and his partner, John Arthur, were together for more than two decades until Arthur died in October 2013. The couple traveled to Maryland to legally marry before Arthur's passing; he was so ill that they he could not leave the plane, so the pair were married on the tarmac. Upon returning to Ohio, they learned Obergefell would not be listed on Arthur's death certificate as a surviving spouse because Ohio did not recognize their marriage.