Con Cruickshank dead at 71

Drug Store News,  May 20, 2002  

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

LANGLEY, B.C. -- Con Cruickshank, one of Canada's most influential drug store leaders and a founder of Canada's Pharmasave Drugs, died last month after suffering an apparent heart attack. Cruickshank, who served as that company's first chief executive officer, was 71. He had been ill for four months while awaiting bypass surgery after suffering a stroke.

Beginning as an independent pharmacy owner in Vancouver, Cruickshank helped merge a group of pharmacies to form the franchised pharmacy chain Pharmasave in British Columbia in 1981. He served as chief executive officer until 1995, leading the chain's rise to become one of Canada's largest drug store operators with $300 million (Canadian) in sales and operations coast to coast. Pharmasave has continued to grow since his retirement and now numbers 300 stores with sales last year of $734 million.

"To many of our members, he was 'Father Pharmasave,'" said company president and chief executive officer Brad Bond. "Con always tried to talk to members as individuals first and franchisees second."

Surviving Cruickshank are his wife, Marion; three daughters and seven grandchildren. Donations on his behalf can be made to the Canadian Mental Health Association in Vancouver.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning