My family just isn't close. I talk to my brother about twice a year, we call each other on our birthdays, but while we used to spend time together just hanging out, it seems to have fallen off around the time of his last divorce. My wife came from a very small family, an only child. And once her parents passed, she has become focused on me and her work.
Good on you for making sure to keep in touch with him. In these times, things like that are what we need. And it reminds me, I need to call my dad's widow. Make sure she is doing OK.