(Springfield, MO) -- There have been plenty of changes at St. John's Hospital over the years, but one thing inside's remained pretty much the same.  

Larry Roesslet has run the hospital's barber shop for over four decades.  But his time behind the barber chair is coming to an end.

"I've been here since 1964," Larry says, reminiscing with a client who's occupied a chair all along.  

Larry's been spraying, snipping and clipping clients' coifs inside the same four walls for 45 years.  He shined shoes at a barber shop as a teen and took a shine to the business.

"It has its own emergency room," Larry says, "But fortunately I've never had to use it."    

A medical center might seem better suited for taking something out instead of taking a little off the top, but if the price is right and the cut's a good one, a trip to the hospital is shear-pleasure for the regulars.  

But the pleasure will only last for two more days, when Larry will blow out of there for the very last time.

"I just told him earlier that retirement's the best job I ever had," says former St. John's Chief Operations Officer Leonard Ernstmann, who came in for one last haircut.  

Riley Hall traveled all the way from Seymour and says his days with Larry aren't over.  

"His wife's going to be surprised when we all show up at the house to get a haircut," Hall says.  

Glenden Adams of Crane looks around at the memories and wonders where all the years went.  

"He let all my brown hair fall out," Adams joked, as he watched gray hairs fall to the floor.  

Over the years, Larry's brown hair fell out too, just like his client's hair did, into a snowfall of silver.  Larry started the job as a single man, but for years his walls have boasted pictures four grandchildren.

"I just hope I can leave the lasting impression like Larry has throughout the years," says Nathaniel Struble, the young barber who's taking over for Larry.  Nate will do all the trimming come Tuesday morning.  

Larry does most of his work in the barber shop, but does occasionally visit patient rooms.  

"I've done haircuts in Intensive Care before, wearing a gown and mask," Larry says.  

He says during the anti-war 1970's, business dwindled a bit, due to changing styles.  

"Nobody wanted to cut their hair,"  Larry says,  "Lots of barbers quit the business, but I had enough other business to keep it going."  

When Larry started back in 1964, haircuts cost a $1.50.  Today, they're $13.00.   Still a bargain, when the man with the blade is a cut above.

"Take care of the customers, they'll take care of you." says Larry.

If you need a trim, you'd better call first thing in the morning.  Larry's last day is Friday, April 3 and St. John's plans a big reception for him on Friday afternoon.

And get this, a few days ago one client called all the way from Dubai to make one last appointment.

Once Larry officially becomes retired, he says he wants to do volunteer work, especially with Meals on Wheels.