Jamestown barber retires after 63 years

JAMESTOWN — Community members came together to celebrate a Jamestown barber who hung up his clippers after 63 years.

Ted Sesslar spent 50 of his 63 years as a barber at Ted’s Barber Shop, in his hometown of Jamestown.

“I was born and raised here, went to school here, got my cemetery plot here so I stayed,” Sesslar said.

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Sesslar, 82, made the decision to retire a little over a week ago.

“I’ve been planning this for a long time,” Sesslar said.

Like many other businesses, Ted’s Barber Shop was impacted by the pandemic, but the temporary lack of business was not the reason Sesslar decided to retire.

“I got a chance to sell the business, the shop, and I decided I wanted to do that,” Sesslar said.

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As for what is next for Sesslar, he told News Center 7 that he plans to work more on his house and spend more time with his wife of 58 years, Fay. Sesslar said he and Fay “hit it off pretty quick” when they met. The couple built a life together, centered around the love of the barber shop.

“I wanted to do something to be productive in the community and I think I did that,” Sesslar said.

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