Sandusky man, 99, is best man in grandson's wedding

SANDUSKY — A Sandusky man will ring in 2021 with the honor of the century. Nicholas Vara, 99, will be the best man at the wedding of his grandson, Scott Thomas, 45, on Friday. Thomas will marry Wendy Brown at The Sanctuary on Monroe Street in Sandusky. Vara is a World War II veteran who's lived in Sandusky since 1948. His 100th birthday is next September. "What better tribute to him than to put him in my wedding," Thomas said. Naturally, Vara "was tickled" to be asked. "He lit up and wouldn't say no. He said he would go anywhere to be my best man," Thomas said. Thomas and Brown got engaged on Dec. 1 after dating for about a year. They met at a follow-up doctor's appointment after Thomas had his tonsils removed. Brown was the nurse who took his vitals. While talking, they discovered they both enjoyed riding motorcycles. "I left my phone number, she called me and we've been together ever since," Thomas said. "Neither of us was looking (for love), but it's good when you connect (with someone)." For the proposal, Thomas ordered a snowglobe and gave it to Brown as a gift. In the middle of the snowglobe was a photo of the couple on Thomas' motorcycle with the message, "Will you marry me?" "She was extremely surprised," Thomas said. Brown and Thomas agreed to marry on Jan. 1 for a couple of reasons. "It's between our birthdays and we can celebrate our new life together in the new year," Thomas said. With COVID-19, the couple didn't want a large wedding. At Friday's ceremony, only Thomas, Brown, Vara, the maid of honor and the officiant, pastor Larrick Zirkle, will be present. Though Brown and Thomas attend different churches, they agreed to get married at The Sanctuary, where Thomas' family has attended for decades. In fact, Thomas' parents were married at the church in 1972. "The hardest part (of planning) was if Larrick would do it, and he was elated," Thomas said. Friday's ceremony will be the third wedding Zirkle has performed. "I haven't performed a New Year's Day wedding before," Zirkle said. "I'm excited about being part of it." At some point, when the pandemic ends, Scott and Wendy want to travel to Hawaii for their honeymoon and throw a party for family and friends who weren't at the wedding. Editor's note: This article was updated with the correct spelling of Nicholas Vara's name. Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com and follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood