Helper bids fond farewell to Chuck's Pharmacy

Intermountain Catholic

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Mary Ghirardelli (left) is delighted to pack boxes for her husband, Chuck, as he closes his pharmacy after 45 years of service to the people of Helper. For Chuck's sister, Norine Jewkes (right), closing the pharmacy means retirement for her, too. She's worked by her brother's side for decades.  IC photo by Barbara S. Lee

HELPER — The aisles of Chuck’s Pharmacy, a Helper institution for 45 years, are lines with well packed cardboard boxes. All of the merchandise, from over-the-counter medications to cosmetics to housewares have either been sold at a deep discount, donated to one of Helper’s civic organizations, or are on the list as prizes for the annual St. Anthony of Padua Parish festival.

Chuck Ghirardelli, 71, one of two pharmacists in Helper, is retiring, and while his eyes get a little misty as the thought of the remarkable change this will make in his life, those of his wife, Mary, 68, are filled with glee.

"I’ve been trying to get him to retire for years," she said. "I know he loves this pharmacy and all of his customers, but now I want to spend some time with him, and I’m looking forward to traveling.

The pharmacy in the middle of town has been more than just a business for Chuck. It’s been his way of serving his neighbors, even when they didn’t have enough money to pay him.

"No one left Chuck’s Pharmacy without their prescriptions, even if they couldn’t pay," said Mary. "He knew when times got better, the money would come in."

Chuck bought the pharmacy 45 years ago from its previous owner, another Catholic. "Doing business here has always been a two-way street," Chuck told the Intermountain Catholic. "The people in Helper are very loyal. Even when the big stores came into town, they still came in to buy their prescriptions from us. Even people who have moved out of Helper get their prescriptions filled here and sent to them by mail order."

So it was with a heavy heart that Chuck turned his prescription records over to a larger pharmacy in Price. "I came to have faith in this community."

Chuck has prided himself in meeting the needs of the priests and sisters who have served St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Helper from as far back as Msgr. Edward Dowling, pastor from 1951-1966.

"This town has had its economic ups and downs," Chuck said. "We would go along, issuing credit to the people who needed it. Most people eventually paid us. I figured it was all even."

Born and raised in the Helper area, Chuck worked in the coal mines with his two brothers. He recently discovered he has a half-brother living in Italy. Chuck fell in love with Mary, who grew up in Price. Chuck, his sister, Norine Jewkes, and Mary, are all alums of Notre Dame Regional School. Chuck and Mary had four daughters, all of whom attended Notre Dame. The Ghirardellis have 6 grandchildren, all of whom are looking forward to spending more time with Grandma and Grandpa.

"We were big supporters of Notre Dame School," Mary said. It was the only Catholic School in the area."

Norine, married with four children, lives in Kennelworth. Three of their children attended Notre Dame. She worked in the pharmacy with Chuck while Mary, a registered nurse, went to work for the State Department of Health Occupations.

Chuck’s Pharmacy became a gathering place for friends who would come in to buy, then talk for hours, Norine said. "The only thing missing was a big pot-bellied stove."

The Helper physicians always knew they could depend on Chuck. Drs. A.R. Demman and Oliver W. Phelps, a Catholic doctor, sent their patients to Chuck’s. Year after year Chuck has watched the cyclical nature of health and wealth in Helper, and is convinced that soon mining will come back, giving the town a needed boost.

Chuck even served as mayor of Helper from 1970-1978, which he described as "a new experience. I was talked into running against a Mormon bishop and I have the distinction of being the first Catholic mayor in Carbon County."

Early in his life, when one of his best friends was a young Dominic Albo, bound for medical school, Chuck thought he, too would go into medicine. He applied at the University of Utah for pre-med classes and was accepted. An advisor convinced him to go into pharmacy, guaranteeing him he would always have a steady job. That advisor turned out to be a professor in the College of Pharmacy.

"He would have made a good doctor. If people had any problems at all, they would always go to Chuck. They still do." Norine said.

"I have no regrets," Chuck answered.

Mary points out that running the pharmacy was more than a full-time job for Chuck. "He worked all the time. We haven’t been able to really have fun. I guess I’m just selfish. I want more of him."

Though how much of Chuck she will see is still open to debate. She has plans to travel to Rome. He plans to go fishing and trap shooting. She wants to see more of the United States, Chuck wants to see more of his neighbors and friends, many of whom he’s met for breakfast in a café down the street every morning for years.

The Catholic faith means a lot to Chuck, Mary, and Norine.

"There have always been a lot of Catholics in Helper," said Mary, who always invites visiting Mormon missionaries into their home for cookies and milk.

Neither the Ghirardellis nor the Jewkeses plan on leaving Helper for a bigger city.

"I like small town friendly," Chuck said. "Here, everyone works together, and we don’t talk a lot of religion. Father Erik Richtsteig (pastor from 1996-2003) once described Helper as a well balanced melting pot. He was right.

"I’ll miss the people most," Chuck said of his retirement. "We’ll still be here, helping to solve problems when we can. I like to think we’re still going to be of value to this community."