Goodbye To A Decent And Caring Human Being

To the Editor:

Yesterday, I received the news that a dear friend of mine and of Newtown died earlier this month. I refer to Marino “Joe” Pelino, the recently retired proprietor of the Village Barber Shop, Newtown.

Although Joe was not a resident of Newtown, but of Stratford, his presence in town for more than four decades and his bond of service and friendship to thousands of men and boys, from first selectmen, judges, bankers, lawyers, coaches and just ordinary guys, was huge. He knew us all, and we were his patrons and he was our friend.

I first met Joe and John Marino, Joe’s mentor in barbering, in 1968, upon moving to Newtown. In the next 40 years, and more than 500 haircuts later, Joe and I became close personal friends. While living on Nantucket for five years, I came back to Newtown for every haircut with Joe. Now in Florida for the past six years, I have not had that privilege. However, last December [2007] when Joe retired, I was in town for the holidays. My sons surprised Joe on his last Friday in the Village Barber Shop and he cut the hair of three sons and three grandsons. The next day, I visited Joe for the last time. Besides a haircut, I asked Joe for my first straight razor shave. He happily obliged me, but said, “Denny, this is on me.” Surprisingly on that last day of his long barbering career, the shop was quiet and we had an hour or more to reminisce about our lives and our friendship. We said our goodbyes with a hug and an Italian kiss.

This Christmas Joe and I exchanged Christmas cards and I mailed him off a DVD that my daughter Amy produced of that last day in the barber shop in December 2007. Joe loved it and called and left a message just before New Year’s that he would cherish it always. I regrettably did not return his call. “Always,” it came to be, was but one week, as Joe died on January 4.

I never met a more decent and caring human being as Joe Pelino. I am deeply saddened by his death and pray for his wife Anna, his three daughters, Marina, Diana, and Gina, and his six beloved grandchildren. Ironically, the barbers Joe and John, associates for 40 years together in Newtown, died within one month of each other. Joe and John, God bless your souls. May you both rest in peace.

Dennis J. Farrell

Hobe Sound, Fla.                                                         January 28, 2009