Remembering Gerry Weitzman

If you grew up in Middletown or Central Connecticut in the twentieth century, you or your family probably used Pelton’s Drug Store. It was a family-run Main Street pharmacy that was part of the daily life and fabric of Middletown and the Wesleyan University community.

In 1972, Benjamin Weitzman turned over the pharmacy to his son Gerard, or “Gerry”, as everyone knew him. Gerry cared deeply about his community. If you worked for him, came to his store or were engaged in something that benefited the community, he was interested in you and, when he could, he was there to help.

The same year he took over Pelton’s, a few of us from Middletown and Wesleyan were trying to start a free clinic. I walked into Pelton’s and introduced myself and told him what we were trying to do – it wasn’t a long talk, and frankly, I didn’t think it was that inspiring – but later that day, Gerry drove up to our storefront and unloaded his trunk which was filled with medical supplies.

Gerry wanted to help, and boy did he! He became a founding member of our Board of Directors, along with his good friend Reba Moses. He always joked that he liked hanging out with us because we had long hair – let’s say he came up very short in that area! But truth be told, he chose us because he genuinely cared about people who didn’t have access to health care because of poverty or historical discrimination.

Anne Frank said, “Our lives are fashioned by our choices. First, we make our choices. Then our choices make us.” He knew the system was unfair, and he wanted to make it better. His commitment over the next 27 years helped shape the Community Health Center. From that first day, till he and his lovely wife Babs were taken from us on May 21, 1999, he was a friend, advisor, and a champion of how we should live life.

Since his passing, the Health Center formed the Weitzman Institute in his honor (weitzmaninstitute.org). Our work is fueled by his faith in us and the proposition that every idea that can help those in need should be explored and evaluated, and those ideas that can make a difference should be shared far and wide.

How proud I am to have known him and to see his namesake institute change the health care delivery system across America. To our friend – thank you. We will not forget you.

Peace and Health,

Mark Masselli

Photo of  Mark Masselli, Reba Moses, Gerry Weitzman