Anyone who has driven past Al’s Yankee Clipper barbershop on Spring Street lately may have noticed a new sign in the window – “Now retired.”

Al Hamer has officially closed up shop after more than 50 years in Marion.

“I got told I’d never make a living if I opened a barbershop in Marion, and they were right.” Hamer joked. “But I made a lot friends, and I was fortunate enough that it never bothered me at all to have to go to work…”

Originally he was planning to retire next summer, but fate took over.

The shop closed temporarily in September when Hamer had hand surgery and then stayed closed when he had to have both his feet operated on in October.

“I decided maybe the universe was trying to say something,” he said.

Hamer has been going to therapy for his hand, but his wife Sally said it just doesn’t close well enough to hold a comb anymore.

“[Clients] are all saying, ‘Oh no. What are we going to do?’” Sally said.

Hamer isn’t sure what retirement will hold for him, but said he’s looking forward to it just the same.

“It’s a little scary because I’ve worked forever, so I’ve always had something to go to and somewhere to be,” he said. “I had a lot of fun, but now I’ll have a lot of fun doing other things, like fishing when I would have been working.”

Currently, the Hamers are working on getting the shop cleaned out, and then there will be a retirement party for him in January to celebrate his long career.

“He’s been a barber for fifty-two years,” Sally said. “He’s something like a legend around here.”

Legend or not, Hamer is just glad to have been able to spend so much time doing something he loves.

“I did manage to make a living, but I told all my daughters and grandkids that if you ever find a job you don’t mind doing, well, that’s worth something too,” he said.