At 90 years old, barber Roger Bandes is not slowing down

By Evan Sery

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    STERLING HEIGHTS, Michigan (WXYZ) — A Marine Corps veteran who started cutting hair in 1960 continues to serve his community and clients with the same dedication he’s shown for more than six decades.

Roger Bandes, a 90-year-old barber in Sterling Heights, has been cutting hair for 65 years and has no plans to retire anytime soon.

“Some people, they can’t wait to retire. I’m not one of those people, I don’t want to retire. I wanna be in the stream of life, I want to be with people,” Bandes said.

The veteran barber started as an apprentice, learning the craft under close supervision.

“And he watched everything you did for two years, and then you had to go down to the state board and take your test to get your journeyman’s card, and it was hard,” Bandes said.

That hard work has paid off with a career spanning over six decades, most of them in Sterling Heights. His scissors have seen everything from 1967 Lions quarterback Karl Sweetan to children getting their first haircuts.

Jerry, a long-time customer who has been getting cuts from Bandes for nearly 35 years, speaks highly of his barber, despite a minor mishap years ago.

“Should I tell him? He cut my sideburns off once,” Jerry said.

Even that hasn’t deterred Jerry’s loyalty to Bandes.

“When they made Roger, they broke the mold,” Jerry said.

Bandes admits to occasional shoulder pain from decades of holding clippers but doesn’t let it slow him down.

“A little bit of shoulder pain now and then, cause I lift a lot, been lifting the clipper for a long time. But I work my way through it,” Bandes said.

When asked what might happen if he retired, Bandes didn’t hesitate.

“I’d probably fade away,” Bandes said. “I wouldn’t be with the people anymore, all my friends. I’ve accumulated a lot of friends in this business.”

I asked Bandes about the rarity of someone his age still working in the profession.

“Well, I’ve been blessed,” Bandes replied.

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