LIMA, OH (WLIO) - A Lima man will be closing up shop soon after 61 years of cutting hair. We spoke to Roger Brown about his time in the profession and the legacy he leaves behind.
After his discharge from the United States Navy, Roger Brown wasn't certain what he wanted to do for a living. It was between studying barbering in Columbus or working at Ohio Steel; whoever called back first. That ended up being the school, and the rest is history.
"This job is just something that suited me. I didn't know it would when I went, but I've never had a day where I hate to come to work. In fact, I enjoy coming to work, and that's what's going to be hard for me when I retire. But I don't know; just talking with the people, and we get in big discussions about sports and politics, and I don't know; that's the good thing to me. The cutting hair just comes along with it," Brown said.
In his decades cutting hair, Brown has seen plenty of changes in the industry, from the increase of men getting their cuts at beauty salons to new styles impacting the business.
"I used to do a lot of flat tops; that was the big thing, and I still got some of these old guys that have worn a flat top since they got out of the military. That long hair hit us in '69 or '70, and it really hurt the barber business. A lot of barbers locally here quit barbering, went out to Ford or Dana somewhere," he recalled.
His son, Dustin Brown, followed very closely in his footsteps. Like his father, Dustin is a veteran who came home from the army unsure of his next steps. But after having watched his dad in action for years as a child, he already had a jumpstart on the skills every barber needs to have.
"I went to war, and then I came home, and I didn't want a boss. So, I just asked my dad, what can I do for work? And he said, just be a barber. Just make them feel welcome or make them happy or joke around with them, that's the most important part. That's what I've learned a lot from him," Dustin said.
Roger felt it was a sign that it was time to retire when his vacuum, clippers, and sign all went out. His shop will be closing next month, but he's not done just yet. He'll still be cutting his customers' hair, working part-time at Dustin's own shop, aptly named "Second Generation Barbershop."
