You might say that this story is “hair-d” to believe or that there is “locks” to explain. It's about David Long, who had a trim-mendous day when he celebrated his 95th birthday at on March 28 at Foulkeways, a retirement community in Gwynedd, Eastern Montgomery County, where David and his wife, Patty Ann, 93, have lived for the past 23 years.

While most men his age would probably be delighted to be able to run their hands through any hair on their head, Long was gifted by Mother Nature (and his parents) with a shock of white hair so bright and fluffy you might need a pair of sunglasses to view it up close.

The powers-that-be at Foulkeways noticed Long's mane and used his visage in an advertisement for the retirement complex that ran for two years in many publications, including the Jewish Exponent, New Yorker Magazine, and the Walnut Street Theater playbill. “I finally said that since we are now 97% full, I must have had something to do with it,” Long told the Local last week.

“People come up to me all the time, even strangers, and say, 'I love your hair.' I use Pantene hair products, and I figured that since my hair is so terrific, I should be in an ad for Pantene. I have been using it for years, and it has kept my hair fluffy and soft. People go nuts over it. … So I sent an email to Pantene suggesting that I should be in one of their ads. Four days later I got an email from them saying they would take it up with their marketing group (Marina Maher Communications). In the interim Pantene contacted the social director here.”

Long was not aware at the time, but Foulkeways planned a surprise 95th birthday party for him with Pantene, although he was told about it before the event. The party was held Friday, March 28, 1:30 p.m. in Foulkeways' auditorium. (Long's actual birthday was March 30.) All residents and staff members were invited, and more than 200 people showed up. Four Pantene representatives came from New York to oversee the party, which included food, cakes, wine, champagne, and a jazz band. 

“It was wonderful,” Long said. “They put on a superb party. Everyone was overwhelmed. They even had cookies with my face on them. You could say that people started munching on my cheeks. They gave me a sweatshirt that says 'Pantene model.' I'm still hoping for the Pantene ad. After all, how many 95-year-olds have this set of hair?”

Brian Kersey, admissions and marketing director for Foulkeways, said “We put an article on our website about it. People said it was so great to see someone at 95 who is so active. Pantene gave out their products to everyone.” 

Long grew up in East Oak Lane and graduated in the 189th class at Central High School. He graduated from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, and earned a master's degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. “I was a terrific social worker,” he said. “Can you imagine me as a social worker with this personality?”

Long left social work to enter the point-of-purchase display business, which was started by his stepfather, Leon Berkowitz, in 1907. Long ended up running it in 1984, and his son, John, eventually took it over. “John's hair is pretty good also,” said Williams, “but he has a receding hairline.”

Long's family came to the U.S. from Germany in 1848 and settled in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Long's wife, Patty Ann, grew up in New Bloomfield, near Harrisburg. She was a pediatric nurse at Philadelphia General Hospital, where Long worked as a psychiatric social worker. In addition to son John, they have three other sons: Dan, who runs a computer business in Northern California; Charles, of Fort Washington, a doctor who is chief of plastic surgery at Abington Hospital; and Ben, of Blue Bell, who works in the telecommunications industry.

After he retired from business, Long began writing books. The first, co-authored with Daniel Aaron, “Take the Measure of the Man,” is about Aaron, a Holocaust survivor and one of the founders of Comcast, the largest cable company in the U.S. His second book was “Tales of a Broadway Flack,” about press agent Sol Jacobson, and his third was “Onions,” about the people at Foulkeways.    

“We have so many fascinating people here that I was able to write about,” said Long, “and my wife is the sweetest woman who ever lived on this earth! On Aug. 23 we will celebrate 70 years of marriage. She had to bring up five boys, our four sons and me … And we love it here at Foulkeways. You might even say that people are dying to get in here.”

For more information, visit foulkeways.org. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.