Warren Haviland has been a barber for over 50 years, and frankly, he isn’t sure what else he would do.
“I don’t know if I could live without doing what I do,” Haviland said. “I’ve been thrown out of every barber shop in town.”
Haviland is referring to the many barber shops he has worked in or owned over the years, including Goodman’s, Pride’s, Papa’s Mustache, and what is now known as Headquarters.
After owning Headquarters for 15 years, Haviland sold the shop and tried to “retire” in 2009. Haviland said he went to Florida for three months and realized he wasn’t ready to give it up.
“I didn’t have a purpose — you’ve gotta have a purpose to get up in the morning,” Haviland said.
One wonders if it wasn’t the shop so much, but the people he missed.
“Such wonderful people — that’s why it’s so hard to think about leaving. There’s customers I‘ve been seeing for over 50 years,” Haviland said. “I try to make friends, not customers.”
To speak to just how passionate Haviland still is about his trade — even at the age of 75 — when he isn’t working at his own barber shop, he has been known to fill in for barber Johnny Goodman while he is away.
The two went through barber school together and have maintained a relationship of mutual respect for over half of a century.
“He’s the best guy I ever worked for,” Haviland said of Goodman.
While Haviland may have a great amount of respect for barber Johnny Goodman, he also has developed a special relationship with barber Johnny Calhoun.
Calhoun, who will be Haviland’s successor, has already purchased the barber shop and moved his belongings over to the main chair.
While Calhoun was ready to call the shop his own, and has many visions for the future, he is going to miss his mentor.
“I love that man,” Calhoun said. “When you see him in the mornings, it doesn’t matter what’s goin’ on in your day — you can’t not be happy when you’re around him.”
For the time being, Calhoun said he will leave the name of the barber shop as Warren’s.
“When his people start associating the shop with me instead of Warren, then I’ll change it,” Calhoun said.
He anticipates that happening sometime after next summer when he renews the shop’s license.
While Haviland will miss his customers, he feels confident that Johnny Calhoun is the right man to take over.
“It’s hard to walk away, but I know I need to,” Haviland said. “Johnny’s a good little guy. He loves the Lord and he’s gonna do alright. He’s worked hard, he deserves this. I was happy to be a part of it.”
This time, Haviland feels confident his retirement in Florida will be a permanent one. He and his wife of 56 years, Gayle, have packed up their belongings and intend to take their time traveling to Florida.
“We have a daughter in Port St. Lucie, Florida to stay with until we find a bungalow somewhere to live out our days,” Haviland said.
