CHARLOTTE — After 61 years, Roger Cloninger is saying “so long” to a job and people he’s come to love.
The longtime Charlotte barber worked for 20 years at the since-demolished Charlottetowne Mall, before moving to the Park Road shop where reporter Elsa Gillis met him.
“When I started barbering in Charlotte I think haircuts were 75 cents,” he told Gillis. “Things have changed a lot.”
But some clients have been constant, sitting in his chair for decades. Cloninger has cut hair for some families for three and four generations.
And as is unique to a barber shop, he’s had a front row seat to the ups and downs of life and been an ear to listen through it all.
“We’re kind of like psychiatrists, they tell us everything in the world, we could write a book,” Cloninger said.
“It’s been good to me, had a bunch of super good customers, every one of my customers are good friends so I just hate leaving my friends, I’m going to miss them.”
He and his wife of 60 years plan to travel in his retirement.
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