Howard and Bertha Hoffman
Keywords: the Bronx, WWII, Hoffman Pharmacy, Terminal Pharmacy, Saranac Lake, Bridge
This interview was conducted by Kayt Gochenaur at Howard and Bertha’s home in Will Rogers as part of the Oral History Project at Will Rogers.
Howard Hoffman was born in 1926, in Manhattan and grew up in the Bronx. Bertha Brown, his wife, was born 1927 and grew up in Uniontown PA. Of the many years spent in Saranac Lake, Howard says “We’ve been here 60, 70 years. We may stay. We’re not sure.” Howard comes from a family of pharmacists, and grew up helping at his father’s pharmacy. He received his bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Columbia University after serving in the US Navy in WWII as an electronic Technician Mate. He and Bertha met in Washington DC where she was working for the Department of Justice and he was working at a pharmacy. After getting married the couple moved to Yonkers, NY where their son Stanley was born. Bertha and Howard moved up to Saranac Lake in 1951 after Howard bought the pharmacy at 3 Bloomingdale Avenue. He relocated the pharmacy to Church St in 1961. He closed the pharmacy in 1997, and ran it as a general store before retiring in 1999. Howard said his favorite part of running a pharmacy was helping people, and he enjoyed the close-knit community. Howard and Bertha had two more children, Charles and Leslie in Saranac Lake. Howard plays duplicate bridge and started a sanctioned bridge club in Saranac Lake in addition to being involved in the Free and Accepted Masons at the Whiteface Mountain Lodge, the Saranac Lake Lions Club, the Saranac Lake Business Association, and the Saranac Lake Jewish Community Center. He has traveled the world playing bridge.
Howard passed away on Friday, June 22, 2018 at his home in Will Rogers. Click here to read the obituary that appeared for Howard in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.
Interview audio may be edited or redacted for clarity and/or privacy. Audio is part of the Oral History Collection at Historic Saranac Lake.
This interview was conducted by Kayt Gochenaur at Howard and Bertha’s home in Will Rogers as part of the Oral History Project at Will Rogers.
Howard Hoffman was born in 1926, in Manhattan and grew up in the Bronx. Bertha Brown, his wife, was born 1927 and grew up in Uniontown PA. Of the many years spent in Saranac Lake, Howard says “We’ve been here 60, 70 years. We may stay. We’re not sure.” Howard comes from a family of pharmacists, and grew up helping at his father’s pharmacy. He received his bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from Columbia University after serving in the US Navy in WWII as an electronic Technician Mate. He and Bertha met in Washington DC where she was working for the Department of Justice and he was working at a pharmacy. After getting married the couple moved to Yonkers, NY where their son Stanley was born. Bertha and Howard moved up to Saranac Lake in 1951 after Howard bought the pharmacy at 3 Bloomingdale Avenue. He relocated the pharmacy to Church St in 1961. He closed the pharmacy in 1997, and ran it as a general store before retiring in 1999. Howard said his favorite part of running a pharmacy was helping people, and he enjoyed the close-knit community. Howard and Bertha had two more children, Charles and Leslie in Saranac Lake. Howard plays duplicate bridge and started a sanctioned bridge club in Saranac Lake in addition to being involved in the Free and Accepted Masons at the Whiteface Mountain Lodge, the Saranac Lake Lions Club, the Saranac Lake Business Association, and the Saranac Lake Jewish Community Center. He has traveled the world playing bridge.
Howard passed away on Friday, June 22, 2018 at his home in Will Rogers. Click here to read the obituary that appeared for Howard in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.
Interview audio may be edited or redacted for clarity and/or privacy. Audio is part of the Oral History Collection at Historic Saranac Lake.