Pharmacy Family

by Rose Mary Madejski

Between my husband's family and mine, there's nine of us who graduated from the School of Pharmacy. My husband's father was the first one to attend UB and graduate from the School of Pharmacy in 1928. Then in 1940 Fred Szklarz, who is my husband's cousin, graduated from pharmacy. Fred's younger brother Julian also graduated in 1950.

My husband and I met at UB; we're both from the class of 1959. My sister is from the class of '60. Two of my children graduated from Pharmacy: Tom in '82, who went on to medical school, and Linda in '83, who works as a Wegman's pharmacist. My niece, Lisa Bukowski, graduated in '92. And then I have another niece, Julie Ann Madejski Donohue, who graduated from the biochemistry program in the School of Pharmacy in 1989, and now she's a physician.

My husband and I bought Stall's Pharmacy the year after we graduated from the School of Pharmacy and owned it until 1990.

In 1990, UB was looking for someone to coordinate the professional practice lab, help with the development of clinical skills, and coordinate the community pharmacy externship program. We were in the process of selling our pharmacy, and I thought, "I need a change of pace." I had been teaching nurses because I was a nursing home consultant. And I liked that. So I thought, "Oh, I could do this job at the School of Pharmacy." I applied for the job and got it.