b'GENTLE GIANT. continued from page 2tomers.DaughterJacquiedescribesbringinthelegendaryheavyweight him as a gentle giant and soft-spokenchampion, Mohammed Ali and his son warrior for God and family. for a haircut. Ali was treated like any Long-timefriend,Evang.Jamesother customer because station in life Colemandescribeshimasagentle,didnt matter; all were treated with the helpfulmanwhoprayedwithhimupmost respect and dignity.before he left town or the country onOutside of the shop, McGill was an ministry trips. He shared that McGillordained deacon and later an ordained opened the back room to homeless orminister. In 1998 he and wife Rev Dr. impaired people to stay for a while. HeBeverly,openedDaySpringChristian would also buy folks food and offer aCenter in the cleaners next door to the cooldrinkfromthatold-schoolpopShop. It was a storefront church, food machine. People would joke saying thepantryandcounselingcenterwhere barbershop was really a church wherethey pastored 10 years before return-youcouldgetahaircut.Itwastheing to Peaceful Rest to work with the community hub for folks who wantedyouth.totalk,pray,orwatchagameandIt was an amazing season, especially trash talk. One could meet others oron the Third Sunday which was Youth just sit and absorb the welcoming andDay when the McGills ministered. Hel peacefulambiancewhileMcGillcre- preached the first service, his wife the ated artistry with his clippers. He wassecond, and daughter Shellie directed also known to have opened his homethe youth choir. His sermons were well bocnews.com as a safe place, and at one time, evenreceived,healwaysbeganbysaying some young gang members found shel- thathedidnotcomebringingnew ter under his care. information but to remind us of what Asthebusinessgrew,daughterwe already knew about Gods Word. ValeriecameonboardtohelpwithSadly,inJuly2013,McGillhad the overflow of customers and retiredastrokethatlefthimwithvascular aftertwenty-oneyears.Sheandthedementiaandforcedhimintoretire-otherbarbers,Floyd,Vonnie,David,ment. So, the historic McGills Barber Michael,andZsharedherfathersShopwassoldandhespentabrief loveforcuttingandgreatcustomertimewithRev.RosalynRedwineat service, and worked with him to makeWinningCoiffeursbeforefullretire-the Shop successful. The Shop openedment. In 2016, he was recognized by at6:00a.m.Tues.-Fri.andat5:00the Five-Points Business Men for the a.m.onSaturdays.JeffFardofBro.excellencyandlongevityasaMaster JeffsCulturalCenterdirectlyacrossBarber. His well-worn chair was donat-thestreetdescribeshimasaFiveed to Bro. Jeffs to be exhibited in the Pointslegendwhomodeledcommu- Cultural Center. nity. Thesedaysaremuchquieterand Watching customers going in and outatamuchslowerpace.Recently,he hisbusinesswasared-carpetevent.had another stroke; but, to God be the Thereweredoctors,lawyers,judges,glory;hehasrecoveredandisdoing athletes,businessexecutives,musi- well.Heisadoredandcaredforby cians, students, parents, children andhis wife and children visit as often as multiple generations from all walks ofCOVID19 allows.life. Mr. McGill served as barber, coun- Allinall,theMasterBarber,Rev. cilor, psychiatrist, pastor, father, men- JamesMcGillisingoodspirits,still tor and friend to everyone. Mr. McGillstrong and definitely still looking good! was well read and shared local, nation- When a neighbor, who hadnt seen him al and international events in a quiet,for a while, asked what he had been mild-manneredwaythatalwaysleftdoing,McGillquippedOh,Imjust me informed wanting to learn more.waiting for time to run out. OutofthemanymemoriesBro.JeffAndwe,wholoveandrespectour has,theonethatstandsoutisthatpatriarch, wait with him knowing that he was a good neighbor who even tookone day he will stand face-to-face with time to say good-bye when he retired.hisSaviorandLordtohear,Well That is friendship and community.done,Mygoodandfaithfulservant. There were many others called himEnter into My rest. friend,likeTerryCampbell,acus- Untilthen,hejustkeepsrighton tomer thirty-five years. One customerloving God and his family in his own eventhoughtenoughofMcGilltoquiet and gentle way. 4 JANUARY 2022 BOCNEWS.com'