Our community sadly lost a beloved member when Jeffery Paul Roach, Sr. died of natural causes on Thursday, August 26, 2021.  A lifetime resident of Lynn, Jeffery was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 21, 1946. He attended Lynn public schools and graduated from the Lynn Trade School before attending Jr. College for broadcasting.

Son to the Lillian (Mitchell) Sammataro, of Lynn, and George Roach, of Chicago, he had four younger brothers and sisters: Gary, Lynda, Lisa and Aaron and was a favorite to his aunts and uncles and most anyone who had ever met him.

Married to the late Arlene (Roberts) Roach in 1967, he had four children with his childhood love: Andrea, Paul, Jeffery Jr. and Heather.

Facing and overcoming many challenges throughout his seventy-five years, Jeffery approached life optimistically with his cool persona always intact and a belief that God would provide whatever solutions and/or resources were needed.  "God is good to me," he'd say whenever he found himself on the other side of a rocky situation.

Places of employment included General Electric, Sam's Town & Tweed and Daniel P. McIntire Jr. Electrical.  His forte though was in cutting hair. He started with trimming his wife's long black locks, eventually going to barber school and training at Talk of the Town and Nubian Notion, where he served clients such as Dennis Johnson, before opening his own shop on Chestnut Street, Starr's International Hair Styling.

Starr's was more than a Barber Shop. It was a place of community, a hub where young barbers could rent chairs and clients of all ages could get cuts and shaves and people in need could find shelter and a kind word.  A small business owner for over twenty-five years, Jeffery often gave discounts to customers who could not afford the full price and for those who were trying to get a fresh start in life, off to job interview, or just wanting to feel human again, he'd cut their hair pro bono. He was also known to make home visits to clients who were sick or in nursing homes.

Jeffery loved music, dancing, cooking and fine clothing. He could, more often than not, be seen wearing a suit and tie with his signature hats. Always ready with a story, he also had artistic talent and enjoyed expressing himself by drawing and painting.

The perpetual social butterfly, he was always the life a party.

In his older years, Jeffery looked for peace in places that once grew wild.  He wanted to rest in grace and to be free.

Known to his lifelong friends as "Binky," his clients as "Starr" and to his children and nephew respectively as "Dad" and "Uncle Jeffery," he will be sorely and forever missed.