George Tomasic Passes Away

George Tomasic, owner and proprietor of the Tar Heel Barber Shop and Chapel Hill institution for sixty years passed away from colon cancer at 72 this weekend. In addition to being my barber for my time in Chapel Hill and Raleigh - yes, I would drive the thirty minutes for a haircut, he was that good - he also cut the hair of Dean Smith, Bill Guthridge, William Friday, Woody Durham, the entire pep band when they all got Eric Montross haircuts prior to the 1993 Final Four, and scores of other UNC students, professors, and anyone else who stopped by. (Guys at least. He was a bit thrown once when I stopped in to make an appointment and had a female friend with me.)

George was a great guy, with a wall plastered with quotes from the DTH and elsewhere - every time I throw out the Bob Knight "All of us learn to write in the second grade" quip it's because I couldn't help but see it every month I went in for a trim - and an excellent barber as well as a smart, devoted man. He'll be missed.