ST. GEORGE — In small town St. George, his contemporaries say Richard Lister is a barber legend. 

“In the barber community, he’s like, the biggest legend that outsiders might not know about. He’s been here forever,” Nicholas Faz, the new owner of Rabbits & Rocketships Barbershop, told St. George News.

And after a 50-year run, Lister is putting down his shears and retiring from the trade in June.

“I’m stepping away because I’m 81 years old,” Lister said. “I’ve had many strokes and open heart surgery. I’ve dealt with prostate cancer. I’ve been very lucky to do what I’ve been able to do.”

He’s lived a long life of working and hardship. Unannounced, his mother took off to Idaho one day when he was just 14 years old. Then his father went up to the mountains and offered only a few words on his way out: “I’ll be back this fall.”

So out of necessity, Lister put his nose to the grindstone and learned to take care of himself. 

“Sometimes I would get paid, sometimes I wouldn’t,” Lister said. “ I worked on farms, all kinds of stuff since I was 6 years old. I’ve worked my whole life. I stayed busy.”

At 18 he went off to Salt Lake Barber Tech. 

“I graduated in 1962 in six months,” he said. “When I got out of high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do so this turned out good for me.”

He said the career has been rewarding in many ways. 

“I’ve met so many people and learned so many things,” he said.

Lister is known in the community for his “regular haircut,” says fellow barber Holden Healey.

“Richard’s got a very unique style of cutting. He doesn’t ask his clients what they want because he knows they’re here for the regular haircut,” Healey said. “Richard knows exactly what all these clients want.”

He’s taught the new guard his techniques and quickness and passed on the old-school barber ways. 

“When I went to barber school they said if you can’t give a haircut in 15 minutes, you’re wasting your time,” Lister said.

But perhaps the most important lesson of all he’s taught is compassion. He’s a good friend and colleague and takes the time to ask how people are.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned from Richard doesn’t even have anything to do with barbering,” barber Lillian Dalen said. “It’s compassion. I have a really hard time with that. He keeps me grounded. He’ll take time every day to make sure I am doing OK, no matter what”

The shop has always prided itself on having one of the most inexpensive haircuts in town.

“I cut hair in here for $10 a haircut, to now $20. That’s still really low compared to some of them,” Lister said. “I’m doing better now than I have ever been.”

Added Healey: “You’ll get people that have been getting cut by Richard for 15 years. They’ll come in and I’ll ask how long Richard has been cutting their hair. They say since they were kids; since he was cutting their fathers’ hair.”

Lister said he feels fulfilled in the success he’s had and is looking forward to retirement.

“I’m gonna go up to Idaho and see my brothers and sisters up in Roosevelt, Utah. It’s time for me to go on an extended vacation … if I can last a couple years.”

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