When Mayor Lori Hohenleitner cuts the ribbon at noon on Saturday, June 8, celebrating 60 years that Bayshore Pharmacy has been a vital and integral part of the Atlantic Highlands community, she will have no idea of the thousands of people of all ages who have been impacted by this family business that has was started by the borough’s former Mayor, long before he became active i the political arena.
Richard Stryker is a native and pharmacist who believes that a pharmacist’s main obligation is to help and protect the life of every customer as well as give every employee a boost and a life lesson that will be remembered and appreciated forever.
Even Ellen Sheehan Duda can’t count the number of teen age employees who got their start at Bayshore and went on to become successful police officers, business men and women, and active adults in every field of endeavor all on a firm foundation cemented by a family that believes in doing the right thing, helping others, and always providing a personal touch even while changing to keep up with the chances and challenges of the 21st century.
Richard C. Stryker is the pharmacist who started Bayshore Pharmacy six decades ago, joined with his brother-in-law Bill McDonald sometime after, sold to a long time pharmacist in the firm Scott Eagleton when he retired and now in the hands of the second generation Stryker, Richard, a pharmacist like his dad who believes he has an obligation to do what he can for his customers and the community.
Ellen Duda is the general manager of the expanded business, also a former council member in Atlantic Highlands, having served on the governing body nine years, and now with the Stryker Bayshore business for the last 26 years….with no intention of retiring anytime in the foreseeable future,
“How could I retire?” she asks rhetorically. “It’s too much fun working here and meeting so many people.”
And providing some life lessons for thee employees, right now somewhere around 30 full and part timers, most of them young people in their first jobs either summers ,weekends, or after school.
Ellen is a strong believer that because the Strykers have made the pharmacy such a family business, she has an obligation as manager to do her share in teaching her staff not only the simple rudiments of being in business with the public, but also with lifelong lessons that will get them through difficult times. ‘Bayshore Pharmacy is a great first job,” she enthuses, “because these kids learn lessons and skills needed to enjoy life. And it’s obvious they appreciate it as well,” she smiles, ticking off the number of visits, good wishes, and invitations to weddings and family reunions she and the Strykers get long after a young employee has left, gone on to college, and become successes in their own fields of work.
One of the first lessons new employees get is the October Blood Drive, when the pharmacy annually has a Blood Bank drive and every employee is encouraged to take part. As Ellen explains it, “some want to donate but they’re fearful of the needle. Sometimes it just takes holding a hand or calming them down. “But the joy comes not only when the young employee does make a donation, but even later when they write or call back years later and say they’ve continued blood donations in drivers wherever they are….and thank Ellen for giving them the courage to try it the first time.
There are series of siblings who find their first jobs at Bayshore, some, like now when there are three sets of siblings on the payroll, to other times when a former part time student will call to say a younger sibling is looking for a summer job. Currently, there are also two generations of the same family at Bayshore, as well as three sisters all working there.
Sara Litteral and her sisters, Hannah and Kim Reynolds, all come from Keansburg for their hours at Bayshore, Sara as an assistant to Ellen and Hannah and Kim as cashiers and counter clerks. The sisters also have their own business, Sister Squad Crafts, and some of their unique and creative items are for sale on Bayshore shelves. Sara’s hand painted artwork is a treasure, and also shows her talent having fun with the English language. A beach and ocean scene entitled “Don’t worry…Beach Happy” is a great housewarming gift, Kim Kristen Simonelli is another local resident who includes Bayshore Pharmacy in her resume in other jobs. She works there now, but also has a few jobs of her own, one of which is Content coordinator for Atlantic Highlands Living, the BVM Media publication that covers Atlantic Highlands and the surrounding area.
Even Scott Eagleton, the former pharmacist now retired, met his wife when both worked at Bayshore; he and Carolyn have been married more than 30 years. Ellen and her husband of 31 years have two sons, Shane, who got his first job at Bayshore, and Colin, who was never actually on the payroll was certainly volunteered a lot for his mom, she laughs, especially when she broke her arm and he stepped up to handle some of her chores.
It isn’t only the pleasant staff, the knowledgeable manager and the excellence of the pharmaceutical personnel that draw customers to Bayshore Pharmacy. It has a gift department that is not only constantly expanding, keeping up with trends, and neatly and attractively exhibited, it’s also arranged by topic and season, by popularity and need.
In addition to the rows and rows of hair, body, head, pain, beauty and everything else helpful and cosmetic displays as a well-equipped pharmacy must have, Bayshore Pharmacy is a shopper’s delight. Because it is the Bayshore, there is an entire section on shells, sand craft, ocean scenes, paintings, and fun gift items highlighting seam sand and surf; there’s another section with Atlantic Highlands, Highlands, and Bayshore commemoratives, and entire section for kids and another for specialties, including teachers and jewelry. Seasonally, there are always gift items for that particular season, although because of its popularity, Irish items are year-round, not simply offered around St. Patrick’s Day. There’s a section for gift ideas for men, from beer steins and sports memorabilia to books, jokes, and items specifically for Dads. One of the newer sections includes a variety of seasonal clothing for women, including scarves and accessories, as well as light beachwear items.
But you’ll never find a cigarette or cigar on sale at Bayshore Pharmacy. You won’t even find a Bic lighter on sale here, although strip lighters for candles and lanterns are always available.
It was March 2006, when the Strykers held a formal ceremony and called in the borough’s road department to help rid them of all the cigarette packs and cartons as well as cigars that had lined their shelves in the back of the store. The Strykers decided to end the sale of the product since they were in the business of providing health for their customers and their belief, based on all the scientific knowledge and studies of it, that the smoking products were in contrast to what they wanted to always do for their customers. Regular customers are well aware there is no tobacco for sale here; it’s only the occasional passerby who is surprised he can’t get a pack of cigarettes in this family-owned pharmacy and gift shop.
The whole family and many of the former employees as well as scores of customers will celebrate 60 years of this family owned business on Saturday from 11 AM to 4 P.M. There will be prizes, giveaways, other businesses participating and offering gifts, and plenty of balloons and congratulations for two generations of a family who has served, continue to serve and plans on decades in the future to serve their customers….all of whom they consider first and foremost, as their friends.June 8th June 8th
I grew up with Dick Stryker. He is a gem and my father, Domenick Caruso thought the world of him.