TOPEKA (KSNT) – The owner of a cozy and rustic Topeka hair salon is reflecting on his decades of service to the local community as he prepares to retire.
Terry Stearman has been working at Touch of Class Hair Studio in central Topeka for more than 50 years. Now, at 70-years-old, he is ready to enter retirement and take a step back from working.
“I started there January of 1977,” Terry Stearman said.
Stearman said he has enjoyed working at the studio and forming relationships with customers. He said that he’s formed connections with many regulars, keeping up with their big life events like marriages, children and more.
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“I told somebody the other day, I’ll be 71 in February, but I’ve never felt old till the last few months dealing with Social Security and Medicare,” Terry Stearman said. “Now I’m starting to think I am 70-years-old.”
Terry and his wife, Barb, acquired ownership of the studio several years ago. However, he has transferred the business over to Christy Watkins, a longtime employee, who will carry on management of the studio in his place.
“When I look back over my career, I’ve been doing this fifty years, I have no regrets,” Terry Stearman said.
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While Touch of Class Hair Studio will be losing Terry Stearman soon, it is still staffed by locals who are making sure that customers are looking sharp.
“It’s been a good run, a good ride,” Terry Stearman said. “If I was 20-years-old I’d do it all over again.”
Terry Stearman plans to officially retire on Dec. 18 this year. You can find his business at 2047 SW Topeka Blvd. near the intersection of Southwest 21st Street and Southwest Topeka Boulevard.
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