In this concluding column, I continue to speak to Mr. Jack Pavis who, with partner Peter Stahl, purchased the landmark Newhard Pharmacy in Northampton from longtime owner Mr. Aaron Newhard in 1969. They constructed the new Newhards on the site of the former N & B Railroad office in 1975.

The pharmacy saw employment increase from 20 employees to 70. I asked Jack how pharmacies have changed.

"We have always attempted to be patient or customer friendly," he said. "Years ago it was physician to pharmacy to patient. The present relationship is more complex physician to insurance to pharmacy to insurance to patient. Even though we have added steps in the process, we do all in our power to serve our customers."

In his office hangs a statement of principles Mr. Newhard followed which Newhard's continues to adhere to:

Is it the truth?

Is it fair to all concerned?

Will it build good will and better friendships?

Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

The statement has been in the pharmacy since 1946.

I also spoke to Mrs. Pavis who is also a certified pharmacist. She was raised in Fountain Hill and graduated from Bethlehem Catholic High School where she was active in school activities.

She followed a path similar to her husband. They both worked in pharmacies in their high school and college years – Jack in Philadelphia, Mrs. Pavis at Dennis Drug store in Bethlehem.

"Working there stimulated my interest in pharmacy," she said. "After work I would watch the pharmacist prepare and compound prescriptions."

She and Jack graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.

She took a position at Yeager's Pharmacy in Hellertown which still faithfully serves the community. After marriage, Mrs. Pavis served customers at Newhard's and then raised a fine family.

They have been married 48 years and are proud of son John, a Rhode Island trained pharmacist who became his father's partner in 2003. Daughter Michele is an ice skating instructor and another son, Michael, is employed in corporate management.

Eight grandchildren grace the family: Henry, George, Charlie, Annika, Olivia, Maggie, Molly and Jack.

Mr. Pavis continues to work at the pharmacy on a part-time basis. He has a fine team of pharmacists and employees. This son of a coal miner's family, through hard work and determination has successfully preserved the Newhard tradition in the Northampton area.

His son John is working closely with his father and will continue Newhard's service to loyal customers for many years in the future.

This writer was impressed by the humility of the family and the cooperation they extended to me in preparing this series. They provided me with any and all material I requested. As a youth 70 years ago, I walked down Main Street to Aaron Newhard's "when we called it a drugstore" for a dip of ice cream or with my mother for a prescription. We are all happy that the Newhard name is still a Northampton landmark.

A special thank you to Larry Oberly who prepares all the photographs for my columns.

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We will be driving through the Holland Tunnel in two weeks!