Retired chemist is clean-shaven no more
Don Peery claims he became a chemist because he couldn’t spell physicist on a career form as a college freshman.
“I didn’t shave the day I retired and I haven’t shaved since. That’s been about three or four years now.
“As a chemist, I had to be clean-shaven. It was a requirement for employment. You had to be able to put on a mask, which was tight fitting. I had short hair, too. It was too expensive to go to a barber, so I would just give myself a buzz cut all the way around. Basically, I looked like that the whole time I was working.
“I did trim my hair one time about a month after I retired, just to get it all the same length. I haven’t cut my hair or beard since, and I don’t have any plans to cut it now.
“Several times people have confused me with Santa Claus. At the grocery store once, a little girl who was probably 3 or 4 years old was in front of us in line. I saw her looking up at me big-eyed. She would kind of look at me, look away, then look at me again. Then she tugged on her mom’s dress and said, ‘Mommy, mommy, it’s Santa Claus.’ I’ve heard that a few times. To be honest, I kind of get a kick out of it.’”
— Don Peery
(Update: Don passed away in June 2017.)
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