THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 28, 1994 TAG: 9407260151
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VICKI LEWIS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
On July 15, many of masseur Robert Southard's longtime clients showed up at the downtown YMCA, but not for a massage. They came to to wish him well on his retirement.
After two and a half decades of relieving the sore muscles of athletes, businessmen and other members of the YMCA on West Bute Street, Southard has given his last professional massage.
Southard was forced to retire at age 51 because of painful arthritis in his hands and fingers.
The YMCA hosted a retirement party for Southard and invited many of his clients. They feted him with hot dogs and hamburgers cooked outside on a grill (and eaten inside because of the heat) and gave him gifts. Almost 60 people attended.
``He has a lot of friends and was loved by everybody at the YMCA,'' said Pam Kitterman, associate director of the downtown YMCA, who helped plan the retirement party. ``He's really going to be missed.''
``It's been a wonderful 25 years,'' Southard said.
As a young man, Southard, who is blind, received on-the-job training in the art of massage. He worked in Newport News before being hired by the YMCA in Norfolk as the men's masseur.
Over the years, he said, he's built up a large clientele, mostly by word of mouth. He said he usually averaged eight or nine massages a day, each lasting about 30 minutes.
``I enjoyed my work and I made a lot of good friends,'' he said.
By his side for the last several years has been his guide dog, Freddy, a 7-year-old golden Labrador retriever.
``The Norfolk Y has gone through a lot of changes for the better,'' Southard said. ``A new administration came in and brought in a lot of new ideas.''
Southard was born in Charlottesville, but he moved to Newport News with his parents when he was a child; they still make their home there. Although Southard was sighted when he was born, he lost his vision as a child due to detached retinas in both eyes. ``It was very rare because it happened in both of my eyes,'' he said.
``But a lot of good things have happened to me. Just because you're blind doesn't mean you can't enjoy life.''
Although he won't be able to work because of health reasons, Southard still plans to enjoy his retirement. But first on his agenda is taking it easy. ``I'm going to rest a couple of weeks,'' he said.
After that, he'd like to do some traveling. ``I've got places to go and things to do,'' he said. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by LAWRENCE JACKSON
Robert Southard and his dog, Freddy. ``I enjoyed my work and I made
a lot of good friends,'' Southard says.
by CNB