Dale W. Moyer.
There was never juicy town gossip inside the four eagle-themed walls of Dale Moyer’s Barber Shop on West Broad Street in Hatfield Borough – there was, however, local stories of legend, Hatfield allegories and lessons, usually spouted from the mouth of Moyer, a human Hatfield history book and wise town figurehead who shared stories and laughs with third- and fourth-generation customers between the rhythmic snips of his shears.
Moyer, a barber whose locally revered talent began in 1956, was the elder; the campfire, his barber’s chair.
In 2018, after 60 years of service to the community, the shears stopped snipping. The campfire had been extinguished. Now, just the walls are talking.
He was given a resolution by Hatfield Borough Council for his years of business. For the next five years, Moyer remained one of the last living links to Hatfield’s past.
Alas, like his beloved Hatfield history, Moyer will now be a part of the legacy.
Hatfield icon “Barber Dale” Moyer – aka “The man who knew everything going on in Hatfield” – passed away at age 84 at Grandview Hospital last week after a very short illness, reported the Hatfield Museum & History Society on its Facebook page Friday afternoon. He was four days shy of celebrating 58 years of marriage to Mary Jane (Rufe) Moyer.
According to the history society, time after time again over that last several years, Moyer had rebounded from life-threatening health situations.
Tonsorialism was in Moyer’s blood. According to the history society, as a teenager, Moyer had no college aspirations. He wanted to be a barber like his Sellersville grandfather. Moyer preferred a comb and scissors in his hands, with every hairy head another dollar or two in his pocket, not sitting in a corporal-punishment classroom with textbooks and pencils.
Thus, in 1957, the Sellersville-born Moyer enrolled in the Cal-Mir School of Barbers in Philadelphia. There, he learned all the tricks of the trade. According to the history society, Moyer had to perfect the perfect shave by using a straight razor on a balloon.
By June 1958, Moyer was introduced to Hatfield Borough barber Titus “Skeets” Schrauger, who ran a barbershop attached to his 14 West Broad Street home. (Schrauger ran his barbershop under Inky Davis’s restaurant on East Broad Street for a number of years).
Moyer’s career was on a roll.
In eight short years, Schrauger would retire and Moyer ended up buying the business and the attached house from him.
And there he held the ideal work-from-home job for more than 60 years – no commute and work came to him.
According to Gail Gresh in an April 2011 Lansdale Patch feature, Moyer loved that he could set his own hours and always have Mondays off. Sometimes Mary Jane would deliver his meals, from the kitchen just a few steps away.
During his life, Moyer would cut the hair of multiple Hatfield mayors, local doctors, and generations of families, including five of the Clemens family. At times, he was working 12-hour days, five days a week.
Back in 2015, when the historical society posted on Facebook to congratulate Moyer on 57 years of barbering, customers and friends posted congratulatory messages for Moyer.
“I grew up at 28 West Broad Street from 1958 to 1971,” wrote Cathy Stebbins Filler. “My dad and brother had their haircut by you.”
Jim Garrahan wrote that he had “too many crewcuts by Dale while growing up next door.”
“Congrats Dale. You’re the best!” wrote Garrahan.
Scott Wittmer congratulated Moyer in the 2015 post, but said he was mad at him.
“You told me 46 years ago that I would not lose my hair,” joked Wittmer. “I got over it 10 years ago.”
Like his heroic soldier father, PFC Walter Moyer, who died at The Battle of the Bulge in Germany during World War II, the patriotic Moyer was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving as a clerk at Fort Knox from 1961 to 1963 (and still cut hair on the side). Moyer’s father, who was the Silverdale Fire Company president, was one of two married men from Silverdale in the conflict.
During his lifetime in Hatfield, he was committed to Grace Lutheran Church, where he served as council president. He was also a charter member of the Hatfield Historical Society and past president of the Hatfield Chamber of Commerce and volunteered for the sewer authority and Hatfield Borough revitalization committee.
“The Grace community is greatly saddened today by the death of beloved long-term member Dale Moyer following a very short illness,” posted the church on its Facebook page. “Dale was cherished for his love of God, church, and neighbor.”
Moyer was dedicated to the Hatfield Fire Company as an associate member and cherished membership in the American WWII Orphan’s Network (AWON).
To many, his golden scissors were matched only by his golden heart.
Even with worsening back issues and stiffening carpel tunnel syndrome, Moyer continued doing what he loved.
Customers and friends continued to leave memories and condolences to Moyer on the historical society’s Facebook post.
Hatfield Township called Moyer “a great man” and “a giant loss to the Hatfield community.”
George Vaszily referred to Moyer’s charisma as “The Dale Moyer Affect.” (sic)
“I have never seen this many reactions from people, expressing their love for this great friend … in such a short amount of time, one day,” Vaszily wrote. “It shows us how our dear friend touched the lives of so many people. So far, there have been 441 people reactions, 35 shares and 101 comments. These numbers summarize the amount of love there is for Dale Moyer. Incredible, just incredible!”
Moyer’s daughter-in-law, Cora Schipani Moyer, wrote she would update people on Moyer’s recovery when he was in the hospital after a heart attack.
“You wrote such encouraging messages that I would read to him at his bedside. They lifted his spirits so much,” Moyer wrote. “It is inspiring to see the impact this great mean had on our community. Hatfield was lucky to have this amazing man and he will be greatly missed.”
Rich Reiff wrote that there were always four Hatfield Borough citizens who came to mind when he looks back on his days living on East Broad Street: Original Trolley Stop owner Reds McGinn, Inky Davis, Bob Porter, and Moyer.
“I didn’t have to leave Broad Street for very much,” Reiff wrote. “All taught us kids some valuable life lessons along the way too.”
Joe Amorosi wrote he will miss Moyer greatly, as will all his friends and Hatfield family.
“He was a long-time Hatfield business owner, neighbor and most importantly, friend making this loss hurt even more,” Amorosi wrote. “Dale was always involved in community events, and I will miss seeing him there. I always appreciated my haircuts with Dale – part haircut, part friendly conversation, part local current events and part Hatfield historian. I will truly miss Dale and our time together.”
Flo Weierbach wrote she used to babysit the Moyer’s sons.
“As an institution in Hatfield, he will be missed,” she said.
Carter Schroy wrote that Skeets and Moyer were his barbers through most of his 15 years living in Hatfield.
“They had the best comic books in the waiting area and gave you a Tootsie Pop when you left. I remember when Dale was drafted and disappeared for a while,” Schroy wrote.
Phillip Steff called Moyer “a true gentleman and a gentle man.” Ed Van Arsdale wrote he was blessed to have him as a friend. Chuck Longacre cherished memories he has of going to Skeets and Moyer with his dad for haircuts. Fay Younger wrote the Hatfield community lost a wonderful person, and Mary Schnable remembered the days of sitting in his barbershop while her father got his haircut and then visiting her grandparents across the street.
Lin Almond met Moyer and his wife at Greenleaf Nursing Center when he resided there briefly.
“I sure missed them when they left,” Almond said. “What a wonderful family.”
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sons, Michael D. Moyer (Cora) of Lansdale, and Mark D. Moyer of Philadelphia; granddaughter, Allison Moyer; sister-in-law, Phyllis Alderfer of Pensacola, FL; and a large extended family. He was preceded in death by his step-brother, Merle Alderfer.
Burial will be in Whitemarsh Memorial Park, Horsham Township. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made in Dale's memory to Grace Lutheran Church.
“He was one of our best friends from Grace Lutheran,” Vaszily wrote on Facebook. “He sure made our world a better place.”
See also:
Obit: Kelly Jo Kulp, of Lansdale, Dies at 58
Obit: Jennifer Eugenie Kincade, North Penn Class of ’92, Dies at 48
Obit: Retired Montgomery Township Police Lt. Gordon ‘Don’ Simes Dies at 73
Obit: Melissa Burnley, of Harleysville and Philadelphia, Dies at 24
Obit: Robert W. Leach Jr., Army Ranger and WWII POW, Dies at 96
