Rich’ s business accomplishments include owning three drug stores, a distribution trucking company, and a local newspaper( which was bought by the Gilroy Dispatch). Over the years, he has been a member of the Board of Directors for both the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce and Gilroy Garlic Festival Association, and a Rotarian for over 30 years.

Rich spent his early years growing up on a 300-acre farm in British Columbia before his father, Jim Mackie, moved the family to Seattle when Rich was 15.“ Canada was a little different culture than a metropolitan area,” said Rich.

Two years later the Mackie’ s moved to Kooski, a rural area in Idaho, where his father had purchased a hotel and bar. While the rest of the family resided in the master suite of the hotel, Rich lived in a room of his own, complete with maid service. This perk came with responsibilities like the daily stocking and cleaning of the bar before heading off to school. His class of 12 students preferred practical jokes over their studies.“ Somebody would stick a big wad of gum on the potbelly stove and stink the whole place up, so we had to leave,” Rich said, then added, with a grin,“ Maybe I threw a wad of gum on the stove.”

The education level of Kooski High was less than adequate, and, in large part, the reason Rich feels he was nearly dismissed from college at the end of his freshman year.“ My problem was I really graduated from high school with a ninth grade education,” Rich said. Rich’ s friendship with the university’ s Dean of Pharmacy allowed him to continue at the school, when the Dean overrode the dismisal.

Rich notes that his sophomore year was much more productive and his studies reflected that.

In 1962, Rich married his high school sweetheart, Shirley Graham, and by the time he graduated in 1963, he and Shirley were the parents of two children, Devin and Vicky.

Tragedy struck when Vicky was born with lower body muscle hypertonia, leaving her with one-third the normal amount of muscle fiber from the waist down.“ When she was born the pediatrician told us to bring her home, and love her, because she would probably die before the year was up,” Rich said. Years of treatment and operations followed. Today, Vicki is married, and the mother of two, and her father could not be happier.“ Her getting married was an amazing thing for me,” Rich said, adding,“ I have two granddaughters, which I never thought would happen.”

My father always instilled in me,‘ Just do it,’” Rich said. Rich has been, just doing it, ever since.

In the fall of 1963, after his graduation, Rich and his father took a road trip to California. On their visit to Gilroy, Rich secured a pharmacist position at Wentz Pharmacy, a landmark establishment located in the heart of downtown at the corner of Fifth Street and Monterey.“ I can remember, to leave the store and go to the bank on the corner, it took about twenty minutes. Although there were probably only 5000 people, you virtually knew everybody,” Rich said.

He recalled one ongoing situation during his 10 years of ownership of the pharmacy involving the town judge. His secretary frequently would race over in a panic requesting Rich’ s help in sobering up the judge so he could hold court.“ Gilroy was full of characters, and you knew them all,” Rich said, adding,“ He was certainly one of them.”

Around the mid 70s, Rich noticed a shift to the West side of town, away from Monterey Street, and in 1976, he closed Wentz Pharmacy.“ It was a traumatic thing because it was an old drug store, and people pleaded with me not to do it,” Rich said.

Another change took place for Rich, in 1977 he and Shirley divorced and Rich was awarded full custody of the children.“ I was Mr. Mom,” Rich said, smiling.

Soon after, he closed his other business, deciding it was time for something new.“ I was thinking about going to law school when a friend of mine, Wayne Carlton, talked me into real estate,” Rich said. It turned out to be a lucrative decision. He’ s now the Senior Certified Associate at Coldwell Banker Commercial in Morgan Hill.

His new career also led him in an unexpected direction. After 20 years of the single life, Rich married again. Jeanne Costas, a divorced mother of two, worked full-time at St. Mary’ s School and supplemented her income by working as a real estate agent at Carlton Realty, where Rich worked.

Jeanne immediately knew they would make a perfect match.“ He’ s a wonderful human being, very kind, very mellow,” Jeanne said.“ I’ m very hyper, and so we balance each other out.” The couple worked together, then dated for several years before marrying on October 11 th, 1997. This October marks their 20 th anniversary.

Jeanne credits their 20 years of marital success to faith.“ We both have the same faith in God, and it’ s very important,” Jeanne said. With tears welling, and a catch in her throat, she added,“ I really think that we were meant to be together, and that our love and blessings in life is all from God.”

Although Rich believes his life’ s motto continues to be,“ just do it,” Jeanne feels, it should be,“ listen to my wife, or it won’ t get done.”

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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN MARCH / APRIL 2017 gmhtoday. com