Randy Boxell has cut the hair of every sitting Folsom Police Chief since 1977 with no plans to stop soon
For nearly half a century, one of Folsom’s most enduring community traditions hasn’t taken place at City Hall or inside the police station, but in a modest one-chair barbershop tucked inside the home of longtime barber and volunteer, Randy Boxell. Since opening his first shop in 1977, Boxell has cut the hair of every sitting Folsom police chief — a lighthearted but heartfelt custom that has become as much a part of the city’s story as the people who have served it.
That legacy continued Thursday afternoon when Interim Folsom Police Chief Randy Ulibarri took his turn in Boxell’s well-worn barber chair. As Ulibarri prepares to conclude his interim term later this week, he stopped by to help carry the tradition forward, joined by several department members who gathered to celebrate the moment and the man who has quietly shaped decades of community connections one haircut at a time.
Boxell turned 83 earlier this year, yet retirement remains nowhere on his horizon. His enthusiasm — and his schedule — remain full.
“I’m still cutting hair because I love what I do,” Boxell says. “I love all the comradery with people, the social activity… I just love it.”
It was 1977 when Blue Ravine Road was still, in Boxell’s words, a “road to nowhere.” That same year, he opened Randy’s Barber-Stylist, a five-chair shop on East Bidwell next to what is now the DMV office. His journey began a decade earlier, thanks to a mentor he credits with changing his life.
That mentor was barber Merle Restler, who hired Boxell straight out of barber college in 1967. Restler did more than give him a job — he gave him confidence, trust, and a foundation for decades of success. “He was a very significant man in my life,” Boxell recalled in a previous Folsom Times interview. “He let me take all of my clientele. Most shop owners don’t let people take their clients, but Merle really encouraged me. Everything I needed to start a business I bought from him. That’s how much the man helped me.”
Word of mouth quickly became Boxell’s calling card. He never relied on flashy marketing or promotions. Instead, his steady reputation, warm personality, and community involvement did the work for him.
“Most all of my clientele have come from word of mouth,” he says. “I’ve been very lucky that I have very faithful customers. I have a very large barber family.”
After 21 years running his multi-chair shop, Boxell decided to downsize and shift to a one-man operation. He moved his operation to a small studio space adjacent to the garage of his home, where he has now spent two decades working with only his chair, his combs, and his trusted scissors and razors. His craftsmanship — and kindness — continued to resonate. In the 2025 Folsom Times Best of Times Awards, he was again recognized as one of the area’s top barbers, and Style Media readers also honored him with top recognition.
But ask anyone in Folsom, and they’ll tell you Boxell’s influence reaches far beyond the clippings on his shop floor. His volunteerism has woven him into nearly every corner of civic life. He has been active in the Folsom Lions Club, Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce, and countless organizations across the city, lending his time to events, projects, and committees, including extensive work in the Historic District.
One of his proudest efforts took place in 1997 near the approach to Folsom’s iconic Rainbow Bridge. Seeing what he described as a “seven-foot-high wall of weeds,” Boxell organized a cleanup effort involving members of the Folsom High School wrestling team and turned the area into what he fondly calls “Folsom’s own version of Babylon’s hanging gardens.” The transformation — done in triple-digit heat on World Service Day — became a defining moment.
“That was the biggest turnaround for me, seeing what they did in the community and knowing in my heart that I want to do this,” Boxell recalled. “I felt it in my heart and my body. It was such a revelation for me.”
His desire to serve began long before he picked up a pair of scissors. Growing up, his parents’ involvement in civic organizations, including the Elks Club, set an example for him and his siblings.
“It was just kind of instated in us,” Boxell says. “We as kids just liked what we saw and what they did; they set the example.”
That example has guided him ever since. In 2023, Boxell was named Volunteer of the Year at the Choose Folsom Community Awards for his efforts on Stage 1 of the Harris Center — a recognition honoring exceptional dedication and service. He accepted the award surrounded by two of his closest friends, Debbie Juhos and Judy Collinsworth, who have long worked alongside him in the Historic District’s Hometown Parade and other community events.
“Randy’s name has become synonymous with dedication, reliability, and boundless enthusiasm in service to others,” Juhos said during the presentation. Collinsworth echoed that sentiment: “Beyond his dedication, Randy’s vibrant personality and infectious energy make every event more fun. We are incredibly fortunate to have his support in our community.”
On Thursday, that energy filled his small shop as he joked with Ulibarri throughout the ceremonial haircut. While Boxell has no plans to step away from his scissors, Ulibarri is preparing to step back into retirement — again. His interim role marks his second time serving Folsom, having previously led the department from 2010 to 2011. His extensive leadership background has also included serving six years as Chief of Police in Union City, as well as interim chief roles in Williams, Vacaville, and Newman.
“This is the last time. I’m really, really retiring this time,” said Ulibarri as he sat in Boxell’s chair. “I retired the first time in 2006. This is like my fifth — let’s see, there was Newman, then Folsom, then Vacaville, then Williams, three years at Post, and back to Folsom. And now all these years later my wife said, ‘Enough’s enough.’”
Ulibarri holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from California State University, Hayward, an associate’s degree from Ohlone Community College, and advanced training from the FBI National Academy, the Post Supervisory Leadership Institute, and California POST.
A longtime Folsom resident, he plans to remain active in the community as he hands leadership to incoming Chief Adam Green who will be sworn in next week.
For Boxell, Thursday’s visit was one more reminder that his barbershop is more than a place for a trim — it’s a place where stories, friendships, and traditions endure, and at 83, he’s still right where he wants to be: behind the chair, doing what he loves, serving the community that has long embraced him. Beyond that he continues to volunteer with various local organizations as much as he can.
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