The doors to Terry’s Family Pharmacy were closed on Thursday with a note taped to the doors that read “All prescriptions at Walgreens”. Today the store is open, but there are large clearance sale banners all over the front window.
Reached by email yesterday, Les Gwyn-Williams, who has owned Terry’s for the last 35 years, said, “We are closed all day and will re-open tomorrow but not as a drug store.” Terry’s customers have told MyVeronaNJ that they received voicemails on Wednesday and Thursday notifying them that their prescriptions are now at Walgreens but offering no additional information about the business.
In the days leading up to the change, Gwyn-Williams has been celebrating his employees on Terry’s Facebook page. That includes pharmacy employees, such as technicians Karen Freda, who has been with the store for 20 years, Todd Roschong and Lauren Brown, a 2019 graduate of Verona High School who will go to University of Rhode this fall to pursue a doctor of pharmacy degree and pharmacists Kelly Goldbach and Dave Grubin, but also long-time employees like Caitlin Mortara, who has been with the store for 16 years.
Gwyn-Williams has promised MyVeronaNJ an interview about the changes to the business, which opened as a pharmacy in Verona in 1939. We’ll bring you more information when we have it.
UPDATE: On Saturday, June 29, Gwyn-Williams posted the update below to Terry’s Facebook page. It confirms that the pharmacy department has been sold to Walgreens and that Terry’s will no longer be filling prescriptions. “It was not an easy decision and I want to thank all of our very loyal customers for their support over the years,” he wrote. “Without all of you we would not have lasted 85 years.”
“It is wonderful to look back on all the community events Terry’s has participated in,” he wrote. “To name a few of our favorites, Fair In the Square, Halloween window painting, recently trick or treating, pictures with Santa, handing out flags at parades and our favorite, middle school kids coming in for treats. It is all these memories that make Terry’s more than just a drug store. We are proud and honored to have served our neighborhood and be recognized as an iconic institution in Verona. We are saddened that it will no longer be part of ‘America’s Mainstreet’. However, we feel pleased that we were able to provide tradition for 85 years.”
“Over the years we’ve employed countless numbers of young adults and hopefully have provided guidance in their career paths. We thank all of our employees past and present for their dedication, loyalty and hard work.
We will remain open for another month to wrap up the rest of our business. We would love for all of you to stop in and say farewell.”
A separate post on the page indicates that Terry’s new hours will be Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
