To the editor,

I’m writing to share a few words of praise and mourning for Leah Gavin, who we lost on April 22. In her many years at Freeman Drug in River Falls Leah truly befriended our community and gave helpful, personalized service to all who came to her.

Whether providing up-to-date information on vaccines or pointing a customer to the least expensive medication alternative, Leah always made us feel cared for and cared about. If you needed only two pills for a procedure, she’d cut two pills from a pack and charge accordingly. I’m sure that many considered her advice as valuable as that of their general practitioners. She was that informed and that caring.

The last time I saw Leah I told her how much it meant to me that she was here for us all. In her modest way, this hard-working woman seemed to shrug off my praise as if it were extravagant, but I was sincere. For that matter, I think she deserved thanks as extravagant as we could make them. Leah, you were one of the people who make River Falls a great place to live. We could never have thanked you enough.

Thomas R. Smith

River Falls