Beloved Businessman Claud Derbes Passes Away

One of Central’s most beloved business owners, Claud Derbes of Central Drug Store, passed away on Friday, Feb. 2. His health had declined over the past year.

Mr. Derbes was one of the most respected and admired business owners in Central. In 2015, Central Drug Store was named Central’s Business of the Decade. Woody Jenkins, editor of the Central City News, said, “Despite competition from a host of national chains, Central Drug Store, has been the dominant pharmacy in Central for many years. The success has been based on honesty, unparalleled personal service, competitive prices, and genuine concern for their customers.”

Claud Derbes has been hailed by many as an example of how small local businesses can not only compete with national chains but win. A visit to Central Drug Store is like a trip to see an old friend. The staff will probably recognize you immediately and know exactly why you’re there. You don’t have to call in your prescription or talk to a computer. They fill the prescription on the spot with little waiting — all at a competitive price.

Some said Claud Derbes had more patients than any physician in Central. He enjoyed coming from behind the counter, finding out your problem, and then offering a compassionate and practical solution. If your doctor prescribed a high-priced drug you couldn’t afford, he might well suggest a lower priced and more effective substitute.  If you couldn’t afford your prescription, he might give it to you free or for a token amount.  If you wondered if you should go to the doctor, he’d ask your symptoms. More often than not, he would suggest an over-the-counter product that would save a doctor’s visit.

Where Claud Derbes particularly shined was in times of emergency, during the hurricane, floods, and other disasters that seem to come along so often.  Even if everything else was closed and there was no power, he would be at the drug store often alone, working away with a flashlight, filling a prescription for someone who lost their medicine in the storm or who forgot to come by for a refill before the weather hit.  If the credit card machine wasn’t working, he’d say, “Just pay me later!” or simply “Don’t worry about it!”

His payment came in the form of loyalty, devotion, and admiration from his customers, who were also his friends.

In a sense, Claud Derbes was a man of the past. He represented all the best of what druggists and drug stores meant to a community in days gone by — before the pharmacy business was taken over by the chains and before it became a big money business. He kept the hometown spirit alive in Central, always being a friend and taking care of his people.