"Big Brother" Friendship At 30 Years And Counting

Tender-hearted readers, be warned: You may cry (from happiness) over this. A 95-year-old man has been a "Big Brother" to a 37-year-old man for the past 30 years! In 1979, Chester Ross decided to participate in Big Brothers program in Westchester—skeptically since he was 65 with grandchildren— and met David Loughran, "a timid 7-year-old...being raised by his divorced mother." Though most Big Brother/Big Sister relationships last till the little sibling is 18, they've been friends for much longer: Ross put Loughran through college ("What else was I going to do? By then he was part of my family"), gave him career advice, and served as his best man five years ago. Ross recalled, "Be a best man when you're 90 years old? But I told him I would do it under one condition. I wanted nothing to do with the bachelor party." Loughran, who gave a son the middle name "Ross," said, "I was shy, and he helped me with my self-confidence. He encouraged me to read and get educated. He became a big part of my family, and he accepted me into his family." Awwww. Here's more information about Big Brothers/Big Sisters.