'Helping others:' Funeral for owner of Raleigh's oldest pharmacy after more than 60 years of serving downtown
Many are expected to gather on Wednesday for the funeral of Dr. John Mitchell Johnson – the owner of Raleigh's oldest pharmacy, and North Carolina's oldest Black-owned pharmacy.
Johnson, who was 93, provided years of service to the surrounding community while operating Hamlin Drug Company on East Hargett Street.
In 1904, the pharmacy opened as People's Drug Store, before changing its name to Hamlin Drug Company a few years later.
For more than half of its history, Johnson has operated the store, purchasing the pharmacy in 1957.
He celebrated the 100th anniversary of Hamlin Drugs in 2007. When the pharmacy finally closed its doors in 2017, it was the longest-running Black-owned business on E. Hargett Street.
“It’s a matter of helping, helping others in ways large and small,” Johnson said about his work.
His store survived the "mass exodus" of downtown businesses in the 1960s, when many people stopped coming downtown to shop, instead opting to visit malls and shopping centers.
Johnson took pride in his service to the community and traditional hospitality. He even began work on modernizing the pharmacy to keep up with the growth in downtown Raleigh, including adding a robotic dispensing system and renovations on the store.
“At one time, there were four [other pharmacy] chains just a block and half from us. We like to think we put them all out of business except one,” Johnson said. “We’re still standing.”
Johnson spent more than 60 years behind the counter – and that's where so many people remember seeing his smiling face. For all those years of service, Johnson was recognized with The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest honor awarded by the Governor of North Carolina, which is presented to individuals with a proven record of extraordinary service to North Carolina. His decades of dedicated service in pharmaceuticals was recognized with a 50-Year Pin by the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy and Howard University Hall of Fame.
"John’s commitment to his craft was tangible," says his obituary. "His greatest honor was the gratitude expressed by his many patrons which spanned families of three to four generations."
"He left an amazing legacy wherever he went that will live in the hearts of those whose paths he had the pleasure to cross," his obituary says.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held April 3, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. at the Greg Poole, Jr. All Faiths Chapel, 1030 Richardson Rd. Raleigh, NC.
