George, Larry St.

ST. GEORGE, Larry

67, passed away on February 8, 2022, in Hamilton, Ohio. Larry was born March 11, 1954, in Hamilton, Ohio, to Norman and Charlotte (Gabbard) George. He fought a hard

battle with Lewy Body Dementia with Parkinsonism.

A master hairstylist and colorist, he spent decades living out west to pursue his professional passion of cutting hair in the sunny climate he loved. His many dedicated clients nicknamed him "Hair God." Kind, creative and down-to-earth, he was known by his family and friends for lighting up the room with his amazing stories, cheeky grin and huge laugh.

"Hairstylist," as opposed to beautician or barber, was a new term when Larry started in the business. In high school, he

almost got expelled more than once because his hair length touched his shirt collar. Inspired by that experience to follow his own path, he graduated hairstyling school and opened Larry St. George Creative Hair Artist Salon. News anchors, prominent business people, Cincinnati Bengals cheerleaders and other locals flocked to Larry's shop for his expert haircuts and fun, upscale service. (His younger cousins remember

"feeling like celebrities" at his salon in the '70s and '80s, where they had a chance to check out early tanning beds and get their ears pierced. They also have great memories of riding in his shiny Corvette, Joe Walsh tunes blaring, for trips to Friendly's or a "Pink Panther" movie.)

Bringing urban style to Hamilton, Larry hosted innovative fashion shows that highlighted both clothing and hairstyles. At 30 he moved to Newport Beach, California, where he opened Jazzz Hair Salon. His Hamilton clients heartbroken, gave him 12 round-trip plane tickets, as a going-away gift, to come back to town every month to do their hair, which he continued to do for 15 years, with appointments booked up to a year in advance.

Continuing to perfect his craft, Larry trained with Vidal Sassoon and José Eber in L.A. Redken recognized his rare

talent and made him a "traveling exhibition designer." He

also created his own product line and styling tools, based on years of experience and client feedback.

Larry had a lifelong love of music, cars and Harley Davidson motorcycles. He also loved boating and water skiing, which eventually took him to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where he opened Larry St. George Hair Studio and started a side business of building custom motorcycles. Larry's custom chopper, Purple Poison, took many awards at cycle shows around the nation. (As his nephew Jake remembers, riding and feeling the wind in his face was one of Larry's favorite things.)

Larry leaves behind his father, sister Jill (Paul) McCowan, granddaughters Kayla and Peyton Smith, nephews Jake and Doug McCowan, and his beloved three cats, Tiger, Jax and Socks. He was preceded in death by his mother, daughter

Tiffany Smith, and niece Stephanie McCowan.

However far he lived from Hamilton, Larry stayed tightly connected to his hometown thanks to long Sunday calls with his mom and visits with friends and family, who will miss him dearly. Larry had a gift for communicating with people from all walks of life and bringing them together. The world is a

little less beautiful without him in it.

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