A couple since the fourth grade, Eileen and Neal have learned that laughter and giving back are the keys to overcoming heartache and acing life.

Couple #5: Eileen, 74, AIDS activist; Neal, 74, parking garage mogul
LoveStage: Married

The death of a child before her time is the ultimate nightmare for parents, so what happens to a couple when both of their children pass prematurely? If you’re Eileen and Neal, you mourn, you regroup, then you do something to help others in need. The couple, who met in a Brooklyn classroom when they were just 9 years old, tragically lost their two adopted children–one to a car crash, the other to AIDS–but that didn’t dampen their desire to connect with others and do good. “We had the love and support of dear friends to deal with our grief, and to help heal we started getting into the AIDS movement,” says Eileen. “We started a group called Mother’s Voices–who wouldn’t listen to a mother, right?–and even went to the Clinton White House with our cause. Through the years we have raised millions of dollars for education and research. Mother’s Voices is now known as CPFA–Concerned Parents For AIDS Research.” Some couples, in the face of such tragedies, would have split up or lost faith in humanity; Eileen and Neal not only survived, they made room in their hearts to fit the entire world.

First Thing They Noticed About Each Other
Eileen and Neal: “Our smiles. A new school can be scary the first day. Our smiles brought us together. Who’s afraid of a smile?”

Personality Trait They Love Best About Each Other
Eileen and Neal: “Our humor. Throughout our full lives humor has saved the day. We both have a wicked sense of humor, sometimes a little on the dark side, which makes us laugh even harder.”

When They Think They Look Sexiest
Eileen and Neal: “Around cocktail time and we are with our adopted grandchild, Sharon Stone. Actually, Sharon adopted us. We got to know her as she is the spokesperson for AIDS, taking over the role from Elizabeth Taylor. When Sharon heard our story, she realized that we would never have any grandchildren so she adopted us as her
grandparents. We visit her and her three children often.”

Something About Your Partner He/She Hates But You Love
Eileen and Neal: “We’ve learned to love our hates during our 52 years of marriage. This question doesn’t compute.”

Secret to an Enduring Relationship
Eileen and Neal: “Communication, love, and honesty–not necessarily in that order.”

What They Learned From Their Hardships
Eileen and Neal: “We learned after losing our daughters that life goes on. We put all our energy and strength into doing something for their memory. Our determination and strength grew and so did we together.”

What They Argue Most About
Eileen and Neal: “Where to eat. And what to eat. It’s a never ending delightful culinary battle.”

Why They Should Be Couple of the Year
Eileen and Neal: “Why not? We’re a couple year after year, just pushing the envelope and working our hearts out for a happier, healthier, and safer world in which to bring up kids.”