A ‘Shear’ Surprise For Centenarian-To-Be

By Nancy K. Crevier

“Holy Hannah!” was Ruth Rossi’s reaction when she walked into Shear Image hair salon on Thursday, July 23. Mrs Rossi was at the salon for a permanent, but salon owner Beverly Watkins and Mrs Rossi’s longtime hair stylist Lucy Grisko greeted her with a bouquet, balloons, a cake, and a Manhattan cocktail.

“Happy birthday!” exclaimed the salon crew, as Mrs Rossi and granddaughter Sandy Shaw stepped into the room.

The Shear Image staff does not celebrate every client’s birthday so effusively, but when Ms Grisko realized that Mrs Rossi would be turning 100 years old on August 10, she and Ms Watkins knew that they had to do something very special during the appointment that fell closest to that date.

“Ruth has been my client for ten years,” said Ms Grisko. “She’s my little sweetheart. She has a lot of pep and is a great person,” she said.

Ms Watkins agreed, and added, “Ruth is just a doll. She is full of energy. You would never guess she is nearly 100 years old.”

Balloons, cake, and flowers are the usual birthday fare, but a Manhattan veers off into the realm of a bit odd — especially served at a hair salon.

“When I found out how old she was, I asked Ruth the secret to getting old,” explained Ms Grisko, “and she told me, ‘It’s those Manhattans I used to drink.’ So I had to make her one.”

Ms Rossi started frequenting Shear Image while living on Main Street in Newtown with her daughter, the late Joan Rudolph. She moved to her granddaughter Wendy DiLorenzo’s home in Danbury in 2005, but continues to have her hair done at the South Main Street salon, twice a month.

When asked how often she partook of those invigorating Manhattans, Ms Rossi said, “Oh, I guess I used to have at least one a week when we would go out. Now I probably get one a year.”

As she took a sip of the Manhattan, Ms Rossi commented, “Very good. I guess they do like me here. This is the best surprise I ever got,” she said.

“My family always told me I would outlive everyone, but I never thought I would make it to 100,” Ms Rossi said. “This is so nice.”