Ben Katz, 91, pharmacist, opened first drugstore in Crystal in the '50s

Ben Katz of Minnetonka, a pharmacist who opened the first drugstore in Crystal, died on March 16 in St. Louis Park. He was 91. Not long after graduating from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy in 1940, he joined the Army, where he was a decorated medic, saving the lives of wounded soldiers on battlefields in North Africa, Sicily and Western Europe. After he returned to civilian life, Katz kept his eye open for a store to buy, but none of the prospects appealed to him, said his wife Claire (Pokey) Katz of Minnetonka. So in the early 1950s, he decided to build his own, naming it Noble Drug after the name of the avenue in Crystal along which it was located. Innovations he brought to the business were self-service for non-prescription medicines, and plenty of parking for customers. Over the years, he added a grocery store and a medical clinic. His wife said he was "feisty," and liked to argue about sports and politics. "He'd start it and take the opposite side," said his wife. His daughter, Debra Heckmann of Brookfield, Conn., worked at the drugstore briefly when she was a teenager. She recalled cases filled with penny candy, a soda fountain with drinks for a nickel, and her father behind the prescription counter grinding medications with a mortar and pestle. Katz and his partner manned the store seven days a week, and when one took a vacation, the other worked both shifts. When he sold the store and retired at the age of 53, travel with his wife was a priority. His favorite destination was Italy. On three of five trips to Israel, he and his wife served as volunteers, laboring to pack military clothing for the Israeli Defense Forces. Katz liked to golf, but "I was the only one who would golf with him," said his wife. "He wasn't that good." Katz studied the game, tried new techniques and changed his swing frequently. "But it never worked," said his wife. "We didn't even keep score." In addition to his wife and daughter, he is survived by his sons, Dr. David Katz of Plymouth, and Ken of Plymouth, and eight grandchildren. Services have been held.