After 45 years of personal service to the Ballard community, the Market Street Pharmacy owned by the Stimac family has closed for good.

George Stimac ran the store for 45 years before retiring in 2005. For the last two years, his son John Stimac has been keeping the pharmacy open.

John Stimac said the national trend is little pharmacies are closing down because of low profitability. Insurance regulations have reduced profits for small pharmacies.

"Insurance companies are not giving enough money for filling prescriptions," said George Stimac, as he sorted through over the counter drugs for the store's fifty-percent off closeout sale last week.

"It's bitter sweet. In some ways I'm glad to be out of business. The bottom line is we can't make money," said John Stimac.

At one point there were seven other locally owned pharmacies. Now that the Market Street Pharmacy is closing, only three are left in Ballard.

"It really has changed. At one time it was mostly cash. Now it's all insurance company prescriptions," said George Stimac.

George Stimac arrived in Ballard from Yakima in 1955. He studied pharmacy at Washington State University. He told the News-Tribune in 2005 that he moved here because he liked the strong neighborhood identity of the community.

As a young man, George Stimac was a standout athlete, setting a national record in the 2-mile relay as a Washington State Cougar.

George Stimac built his business by providing competitive prices compared to the large drug store chains.

For the Stimac's, the pharmacy business is all about customer and treating them well.

"We had a close relationship with people. We used to have free delivery. We are a service oriented pharmacy and we care for people," said George Stimac.

Customers are an extended family for the Stimac's. Unlike a chain store where people stand in a drop-off line, then go to a pick up window with a glass cage between them and the pharmacist.

"If you care for someone, you talk to them. Thirty years ago, the name of the game was service," said John Stimac.

Friends and patrons have been saying their goodbyes. "We had people literally with tears in their eyes," said John Stimac.

Market Street Pharmacy's phone number 783-2900 has been re-routed to the Ballard Safeway Store's pharmacy line.