3 minute read
Sharing the Sand
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BY JULIE SIMMONS • PHOTOS BY SHERRY CARTER
Some of you may recall when Waas Drug Store was on Fourth Street downtown, others will recall when it moved to Sixth Street, and the rest of us probably have visited the 14th Street location since it found a home there over 20 years ago. But whether or not you remember these various locations, you probably remember meeting Amelia Island’s favorite pharmacist, Jimmy Parker, R.Ph., who has owned and operated Waas Drug Store since August 1970.
“That’s nearly 51 years ago, Julie,” says Jimmy with a smile, reflecting on how quickly five decades can pass. “I’d just finished pharmacy school at University of Georgia and heard there was opportunity to buy a pharmacy down in Fernandina.”
Jimmy liked the idea of being near Folkston, Georgia, where he grew up. “I visited Glyn Waas, who was selling to pursue other career interests. Leonard Long was a pharmacist working with him, and he and I went in together and bought the business. We ran it together for 10 years, and in 1980, I bought his half.”
From that day forward, Waas Drug Store has been Jimmy Parker, and I bet many of you have great stories to tell. But today, the secret is out that Jimmy is retiring. He’s ready to travel with his wife, Molly, who already has her maps and calendar out, and they look forward to spending more time with their children and grandchildren. Fortunately, he found just the right successor.
“Katie Graves Kotopka approached me and said that if I was ever interested in selling, she might be interested in buying. I prayed about it and knew this was the right decision. I’ve known Katie for many years from church, her husband played baseball with my son, and she brings a wealth of experience after serving in a chain pharmacy for the past 20 years.”
Jimmy is thrilled about transitioning the reigns to a colleague who loves independent pharmacy and Fernandina Beach as much as he does, but I wager to say that nobody is as excited as Katie. “Waas is where it all started for me!” she says. “While I was in high school, I shadowed pharmacist Pam Simmons at Waas Drug. I decided that was my calling, and off to Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy I went. It is so special to me that the pharmacy that steered me toward this career is now going to be my own enterprise.”
Katie is quick to tell you that she is a small town girl and she will continue to provide the white-glove personal service that is synonymous with the Waas name. “I have huge shoes to fill, but I am so excited. I look forward to the opportunity to do just this, and give back to the community.”
While keeping up the Waas tradition, Katie is also hoping to offer new technology options to support a tech-savvy clientele, but she reiterated that her goal is to get medicine to all types of patients in the best way possible.
“We also will be adding more gift items soon! We are hoping Waas Drug becomes not only a place for medications and healthcare support, but also a place where folks know they can stop in to grab a gift and go, whether for a baby shower, wedding, birthday, or hostess.”
Katie will join Jimmy to transition the business this month, and Jimmy will be around for a few more weeks. Stop by and wish him well, and reminisce on favorite times together. Congratulations on your retirement, Mr. Jimmy, and we wish Katie all the best!
