#457: SPOTLIGHT: Bob Gilbreath

#457: Bob Gilbreath 

March 3, 2026

A Backbeat of Community 

Question for Bob:  

Is there someone in your life that has UNEXPECTEDLY shaped your way of viewing the world, humanity, or the challenges you face?  What happened in the process to turn “unexpected” into extraordinary for you? How do you carry that influence today?

Bob's Response: 

In Summer 1999, I got a job at P&G in Cincinnati. Being new in town, I had to find a new barber. Coworkers suggested a solution: a shop in our building, nine stories down. I found my way there a few days later and met Tony Ramundo. He became my new barber, and we began a friendship that has lasted 27 years and counting.

As our time together has extended—and I’ve gained my own life experiences—Tony has helped me see what purpose in life is really about: being present and serving others. 

He doesn’t own a computer and isn’t interested in AI. But he has lived a full life. He immigrated from Italy when he was 15, worked his way into a barbershop, was drafted, and has raised wonderful children and grandchildren. He has suffered through loss and hardship, and continues serving customers because he loves being with people.

He’s about the age my father would be if he had not passed thirteen years ago. I often find myself asking Tony questions that would have gone to Dad. 

Tony recently dialed his work back to three days per week. He is 78. His brother, John, in the barber chair next to him, is still working into his 80s. I’m not sure how many more haircuts we will have together. So each time I return, our hugs get a little longer, and I concentrate harder on etching the memories of our time together in my mind.