Community throws surprise retirement celebration for beloved Mount Pleasant pharmacist

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – Mount Pleasant community members are saying farewell to a Pitt Street icon.

“Today was a total surprise,” Kim Richardson, long-time Pitt Street Pharmacy owner, said. “They got me today. I just can’t believe it. So blessed.”

The community threw Richardson a surprise retirement celebration after 25 years of service.

“I said, ‘No, no, no, please. This can’t be for me. Can’t be for me,’” he said. “And it was, and I just thank the lord for all the experiences that I had, the people that I’ve met all these years.”

News 2’s Rob Fowler served as the MC for the ceremony that saw the beloved pharmacist receive a resolution and key to the Town of Mount Pleasant, a resolution from the State House and a personal recording from Clemson Football coach Dabo Swinney.

“It’s really surreal,” Richardson said. “I don’t think I deserve anything like this. I’ve just been trying to practice pharmacy and have a good time in the process. The good lord’s just blessed me.”

Richardson bought the pharmacy in 1996. Now, he’s turning it over to Brandi Sherbert, who’s worked with him the last seven years.

“Couldn’t pick a better person,” he said. “The good lord put her in my life. No question about it, he sent her to me. And I’m just excited about her future at Pitt Street.”

Sherbert says she has big shoes to fill, but the community has already shown support.

“The community support has really just been amazing and inspiring and really helped settle those nervous a little bit more,” she said.

Patients say they’ll miss Richardson.

“We couldn’t let him get out of town without showing him our appreciation,” Clay Duffie, one of the organizers of the celebration, said. “He’s been our pharmacist and our friend for a long time.”

And Richardson says he’ll miss them as well.

“We sometimes talk a lot more about Clemson football than we do about medicine,” he said. “But that’s okay, that’s part of what we do. I will miss the people.”

Mount Pleasant Mayor Will Haynie officially declared March 27 Kimbo Richardson Day.