Friends Forever: National Best Friends Day Holds Special Meaning for Ocean County Pair

On June 8, we celebrate National Best Friends Day, and there may be no better duo to exemplify the spirit than two Ocean County natives. More than 50 years ago, two young women who were each raising their children began to form the bonds of friendship. They didn’t know it then, but all these years later, those bonds remain as strong as ever for lifelong friends Claire Papp and Pat O’Brien – now neighbors at Harrogate, an Ocean County retirement community!

"It's always been Claire and Pat, Pat and Claire," said Papp. "Some friends come and go throughout your life. Others are there through it all. We're lucky to have each other."

One visit with Claire and Pat at Harrogate is all it takes to learn the secret of that friendship. From watching their children grow to standing beside one another during difficult times, the two ladies say they can’t imagine a life without one another. A friend to rely on, they say, is one of life’s wonderful blessings.

It was certainly no coincidence they both ended up at Harrogate. While they didn’t move in at the same time, they were both attracted to the community’s vibrant, active environment. Research shows involvement in social activities and maintaining friendships like Claire and Pat’s, and helps prevent cognitive decline and reduce mobility disabilities in older adults. The two agree with the findings, and say fate had a way of making sure they’d get to spend their retirement years together.