It's never too late.

Just ask Bill Bothe, a grandfather from Upper St. Clair who refused to give up his dream of being a Big Brother.

Six years ago, he met and forged a bond with Taylor, now 13, from Canonsburg.

Since June 2000, Mr. Bothe, 74, a retired metals executive, has been a volunteer Big Brother for Taylor. Two weeks ago, he was named by the Pittsburgh Chapter of Big Brothers/Big Sisters as Big Brother of the Year.

The Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization has been in this area since 1965. In that time, it has matched more than 13,500 youths with professional mentors.

Now Mr. Bothe is getting his turn and raising adolescents is old hat. He has two grown children living out of town, and four grandchildren, two of whom are 13 and 14.

In between his grandchildren's visits, Mr. Bothe had the time to do something he could not do while working: "take a kid and find the time to influence him properly."

It was perfect. Most Big Brothers are men who have jobs and have to worry about being transferred. Not Mr. Bothe.

Still active and fit, he took Taylor sailing on Lake Erie. They went snow tubing and horseback riding. Mr. Bothe taught Taylor (the Big Brothers organization asks that youths' last names not be revealed) to play billiards and to dive off the 15-foot platform at the swimming pool.

At times, Mr. Bothe is Big Brother, father, grandfather and confidant all in one.

Mr. Bothe mentors Taylor in a special way, which is why he was named Big Brother of the Year, said Wally Jenkins, executive director of Big Brothers/Big Sisters. "He provided a positive, consistent relationship that gave Taylor new experiences."

"He obviously loves Taylor," said Elizabeth, Taylor's mom. "He's never planned anything and then canceled it."

Taylor's dad died in a car accident when he was almost 3, but Mr. Bothe, she said, has many of her husband's interests and teaches Taylor what she imagined his dad would have taught him.

For instance, Taylor has a fascination with flying and military. Mr. Bothe has that, too.

So, when Taylor shared his hopes of being a pilot, Mr. Bothe had his nephew, a pilot, take the boy flying, for a while letting Taylor guide the plane.

"It was very exciting. We flew over the city," said Taylor, who enjoys his Big Brother because Mr. Bothe talks to him "like an equal," sharing politics and stories of being in the Marines.

As required by the organization, twice a month, or more, Mr. Bothe spends time with Taylor, a young man who's matured before his eyes.

He put a caller on hold to retrieve a scrapbook of memories of Taylor, a young man he said has grown into an avid reader.

As the two drove to and from University of Pittsburgh football games, Duquesne University basketball games, Kennywood, Idlewild and Sandcastle, Taylor learned the Gettysburg Address, all 50 states and their capitals.

The two once spent weeks building a house for Taylor's three dogs.

Taylor is a high honor student and has grown 7 inches in the past two years. Mr. Bothe knows this because he has marked Taylor's growth every year on the 2-by-4 boards in his basement, right next to the ones for his grandchildren.

Taylor has played soccer and lacrosse, and the school is recruiting him to play football.

At first, Elizabeth was worried that Mr. Bothe, being a retiree, would not be able to keep up with her young son. But his fitness and dedication soon earned her trust.

"He thinks of me as a buddy," Mr. Bothe said.

Taylor now calls him at home to share news of his report cards.

A few years ago, Taylor, an only child who's very affectionate with his mom, hugged Mr. Bothe for the first time and told him he loved him.

In June, Mr. Bothe got a Father's Day card. Scribbled inside: "You've been like a father to me."

"I thought it would be nice to say that," said Taylor, "to a guy who's given me so much."

"I got a great boy," said Mr. Bothe, who describes the teen as sensitive and caring.

When Taylor was about 9, he went with his Big Brother to shovel snow for an elderly woman.

"You could see what it meant for him," said Mr. Bothe, "to do something because of friendship."