In Memoriam - Ed Lara

[Jack]

Georgetown lost a beloved member of the neighborhood community over the weekend. Ed was a longtime barber at Georgetown Hairstyling and had taken over as owner from his stepfather Rigo in recent years. He was far too young, at 55, but he was one of the people who made Georgetown a wonderful place to live, work, and go to school and more than just a university separated from a mall by some expensive houses. He ran a good shop and gave a nice haircut, but more than that he was just so kind and pleasant to talk to whether you were a student, faculty, staff, or just lived nearby - not many businesses have that kind of local personal touch that is able to connect all of those groups (albeit almost exclusively male). He had stories and jokes, and always wanted to know about your life, but I never once heard him gossip or say a bad word about someone.

I am sure there are others who knew him better around here - I knew that he lived near Annapolis and made a long commute most days, except for those times when he slept on an air mattress in the shop. I think I sat with him at the bar at the Tombs once or twice. I haven't lived in DC for more than 7 years, but I have still been known to try to stretch a haircut an extra week or two in anticipation of a visit to DC and an excuse to see an old friend. I am sad to say I did not make it in this past year, and even more sad to know that the next time I go will not see Ed.

Bare bones obituary here. I hope someone local will give him the write-up he deserves.

[hoyaLS05]

Glad you posted this. Saw a post about this on Facebook this AM and could not believe it. RIP. As I think is fitting, I'd have described my relationship with Ed just the same way you did.

[RusskyHoya]

What? WHAT? I just saw him last weekend...

Ok, I'm crying, shamelessly. RIP Ed. I... I thought many more years were ahead.

You will not be forgotten. Damnit.

[hoyaLS05]

www.georgetowner.com/articles/2014/jun/11/georgetowns-favorite-barber-ed-lara-dies-suddenly-heart-attack/

[DoctorHoya]

A wonderful barber who definitely enhanced my Georgetown experience. I went to him every chance I could even after graduating...

[hoyabinx]

Jun 11, 2014 7:48:15 GMT -5 Jack said:

Georgetown lost a beloved member of the neighborhood community over the weekend. Ed was a longtime barber at Georgetown Hairstyling and had taken over as owner from his stepfather Rigo in recent years. He was far too young, at 55, but he was one of the people who made Georgetown a wonderful place to live, work, and go to school and more than just a university separated from a mall by some expensive houses. He ran a good shop and gave a nice haircut, but more than that he was just so kind and pleasant to talk to whether you were a student, faculty, staff, or just lived nearby - not many businesses have that kind of local personal touch that is able to connect all of those groups (albeit almost exclusively male). He had stories and jokes, and always wanted to know about your life, but I never once heard him gossip or say a bad word about someone.

I am sure there are others who knew him better around here - I knew that he lived near Annapolis and made a long commute most days, except for those times when he slept on an air mattress in the shop. I think I sat with him at the bar at the Tombs once or twice. I haven't lived in DC for more than 7 years, but I have still been known to try to stretch a haircut an extra week or two in anticipation of a visit to DC and an excuse to see an old friend. I am sad to say I did not make it in this past year, and even more sad to know that the next time I go will not see Ed.

Bare bones obituary here. I hope someone local will give him the write-up he deserves.

This is incredibly sad.

Jack, your words are perfect. His shop is one of the reasons Georgetown is such a great place and neighborhood. He genuinely cared about the people, the businesses around his, and those that came through his shop. For his regulars, each haircut was more a continuing conversation from your last visit. He knew about your life, and you about his. And he loathed to turn you away if you had a limited schedule. Many times he stayed late or opened early to accommodate me.

Ed indeed lived in the Annapolis area. He was in the shop Tuesdays through Saturdays. Generally, he would commute in on Tuesday mornings and stay in the basement apartment during the week, and head back to Annapolis Friday night. He often ate dinners at Tombs. Last year he bought a boat, after thinking about it for years, so that he could cruise the Chesapeake on his days off. That decision had been paying off beautifully. He loved talking about getting out on that boat. Ed also was a talented musician that played in several bands. He played guitar and drums primarily and also was a singer. He often spoke fondly of his "gigs" and how, invariably, his band's hosts wouldn't let them off stage at the end of the night without playing a few more songs. He usually vacationed at the Delaware beaches each summer, but last year his whole family went on a cruise together (Rigo and Ed's mother take cruises them often). He very much enjoyed that trip and had planned to do it again in the future. He also followed our beloved Hoyas, and would snag a ticket from Steve Alleva from time to time.

Ed was an absolute pleasure to know. He has cut my hair since 2003, which apparently made me one of his first regulars (or so he told me). For 11 years I've seen him every 5 weeks. So I knew him well. I went through college, my first career, graduate school, and my second career over that time. But he was a constant through all that change. Last year, he made sure I had the perfect head of hair for my wedding (I did), and he refused to let me pay for it, instead offering to touch it up the week before if needed (free of charge). He was sad to hear that I am moving to San Francisco in August, and I too that I'd have to find another barber after 11+ years with the same one. Two weeks ago (today) he cut my hair. We discussed primarily my last haircut next month before I left. I'd planned a big tip for all of our years together and promised to be back for another appointment in September before a Dahlgren wedding. Like many others, I won't get the pleasure of another visit to his welcoming chair.

This is perhaps the most difficult part. I set up a Friday appointment two weeks ago instead of my usual Saturday appointment because Ed was attending a high school friend's funeral on that Saturday. That friend had cancer and the two reconnected over the past few years. It was the only time I've seen Ed anything but 100% upbeat, but the fact that his friend had died so young clearly bothered him. I can't believe the same thing happened to him.

He was a good friend, and he will be missed by many.

[HoyaNyr320]

I'm late to the game here, but I don't check this part of the board much and just found out about this when I called to schedule an appointment for my next haircut. How sudden and devastating. Ed was an extraordinary person who basically took over the operations of Georgetown Hairstyling from Rigo around 2003 (as Jack mentioned above). He took so much pride in the shop and the improvements he made - from bamboo floors, to wifi, to a second phone line to handle all the calls for appointments, to accepting credit card payments, and even small things like having salt ready for the winter and snow shovelers lined up. I remember when I got my haircut from him for the first time as a sophomore in college. He went out of his way to get every detail about the cut right and gave me a business card with a name crossed out and his name on it instead - "Ed". From that point on, with few exceptions, Ed has cut my hair for the past 11-12 years. Ed could talk with you about anything ranging from DC weather, Hoyas Basketball, and vacation plans. I always left that shop with a smile on my face.

One last story. If I knew I was going out of town for a weekend and had forgotten to get my haircut the Saturday before (and needed a haircut desperately), I would always try and schedule his very last appointment of the day on a weekday. This was either 5:30 or his special "5:45" appointment time. He was so dedicated to his customers, he would take an extra appointment, stay late and keep the shop open so he could complete the haircut. One time when the other barbers had left, Ed brought a couple beers up from his basement apartment and we shared a drink as he finished up the haircut. Ed was so much more than just your barber - he was a friend and a great person. I'm sure many here have similar thoughts and experiences too.

Would you guys be up for organizing a get together within the alumni and student community to retell and gather some of these memories (if this hasn't happened already)? I would be happy to do some of the legwork. Reply publicly or PM if interested.

[CAHoya07]

Late also, but wow, very sad. Ed cut my hair (as well as many of my friends' hair) from roughly 2006-2010, when I moved back to the Bay Area. I'll echo all the sentiments so far here - one of the nicest people I've ever met, couldn't say a bad word about him, going in to get my haircut was like seeing an old friend. I was hoping to bump into him at some point during one of my visits to DC (like how I bumped into him randomly during halftime of a Syracuse game at Verizon Center once), but I guess I won't get the chance.

I can't even imagine what the staff has gone/is going through, people calling in asking for an appointment with Ed and having to break the news. Why do these sudden, unexpected deaths seemingly always get the good ones? Things like this, so random and terrible, definitely shake my confidence that there is meaning in anything in this world.

Anyways, for lack of a better outlet than this message board, rest in peace, Ed. You will be, hell, you already are, missed.

[RusskyHoya]

Jun 17, 2014 12:36:53 GMT -5 HoyaNyr320 said:

Would you guys be up for organizing a get together within the alumni and student community to retell and gather some of these memories (if this hasn't happened already)? I would be happy to do some of the legwork. Reply publicly or PM if interested.

Sign me up.