BOUNTIFUL—Not many people can say they worked in the same business for 66 years but Doug Winn can. After all that time the 94-year-old barber is finally ready to retire. Winn has worked at Town & Country Style Shop since 2007 and several other shops before that. 

“I worked in Ogden for a couple of barbers up there and was taught quite a bit,” said Winn. “I moved to Kaysville for a year and from there to North Salt Lake and bought that shop. I moved to Bountiful in the old Carmack’s building, then moved across the street to the Tingey's cold storage building. If a customer got out of hand I would tell them I’d send them back to the freezer to cool off.”

When the cold storage guys decided to sell the building, Winn said he decided to make a move. “I went to a barber shop in Centerville by Dick’s Market. I was there for seven years then came here.”

Winn said he came to the barber shop to talk to them. “They weren’t sure if they wanted me or not. I would be the fourth barber in a three-chair shop. They asked if I would be willing to work on the days others had off. So I played musical chairs all the time.”

Winn didn’t get into the business until he was 28 years old. “I’d done a number of things before becoming a barber. I went to Utah State for a couple of years and Weber but didn’t see anything I’d like to do there. I was talking to my sister-in-law who was a cosmetologist and she said ‘you should try cosmetology.’”

After giving it a try, Winn said he didn’t feel like he fit in there. “I decided to go to barber school and got my license. You had to serve a one year internship before you could open a shop.”

“He’s entertaining for sure,” said Town & Country owner Lori Holman. “We’ve enjoyed his stories through the years about his life. You never knew when he came in what the story of that day would be. It was always a history lesson.”

So many people came through with different backgrounds and stories, she said. “Doug formed relationships in the community.” 

Holman said she came in a couple of months after Winn started at the shop in 2007. “I thought he might be here for a little while. I didn’t know he’d stay as long as he did. It's been a real joy to work with him.”

He’s always upbeat and chipper, said Holman. “He’s a very kind, positive person. The customers love him. A lot of people are going to miss him tremendously.”

“He's been my barber for about 35 years and I just love the guy,” said Steve Barlow. “He is a wonderful person who is loved by all his clients. We all hate to see him hang it up but we totally understand.”

“I don’t have any plans of what I’ll do,” said Winn. “I’ll play it by ear. Maybe I’ll go clean out the barn at Van’s (his friend from high school). Every year I’d say it was time then I’d add an extra year on my life and say ‘I’ll wait until next year.’”

Winn said he’s not as agile as he used to be. “I feel like age has kinda been interfering. I’ll shed some tears. I’m leaving my friends who have faith in me and the conversations they’ve given me. It’s really hard.”