After 30 years of service, Cold Lake pharmacy employee with Down's syndrome retires

Lynn McFarlane (centre) is retiring after working for 30 years with Cold Lake, Alta. pharmacist Bob Mattice (left)For the past 30 years, Lynn McFarlane has been helping things run smoothly at the Value Drug Mart at the Tri-City Mall in Cold Lake, Alta.McFarlane, who has Down’s syndrome, started working at the pharmacy after high school and quickly became an important member of the staff. Three mornings a week, McFarlane made coffee, swept the floor, filled prescription vials, loaded the printer with prescription labels, sterilized the countertops and helped customers in the store.Now 52, McFarlane recently retired.“She did meaningful work. Because Lynn was doing it, it meant we didn’t have to and we knew it would be taken care of,” said pharmacist Bob Mattice, 58, who has owned the Value Drug Mart for 30 years. “Lynn is also really good with customers. I would tell new employees, if you want to learn customer service, just watch Lynn. She was very kind and would engage with little kids. If someone wanted to find something, she wouldn’t just point, she would take them there.“I really miss her. She was our longest-serving employee.”McFarlane’s mom, Heather, says Lynn and Bob had a bond and Lynn misses going into work.“When Lynn was hired, most people with disabilities were only hired through government programs that paid most of their wages. Bob always paid Lynn himself without any government funding. And he always said Lynn earned her paycheque,” said Heather. “It was a safe place for her for 30 years.”In addition to the pharmacy, McFarlane has competed in swimming and cross country and downhill skiing in the Special Olympics Canada, travelling all over the country. She is also an active volunteer, including for the local food bank and humane society. McFarlane lived on her own for 25 years, with some assistance during the day.“We are grateful to Bob who gave her this opportunity for so many years and helped her financially and kept her doing something. Many people with challenges aren’t given these opportunities,” says Heather.Mattice says he benefitted just as much as McFarlane did. A pharmacist for 37 years, Mattice is also a professional stand-up comedian on the side. He performs about 12 shows a year and has competed in the Funniest Person with a Day Job competition in Edmonton. For him, having fun and laughing on the job is important, which made him appreciate McFarlane.“We had a lot of fun with Lynn,” he said. “She is a huge Elvis Presley fan. We would sing Blue Suede Shoes and get caught dancing in the pharmacy. I cried on her last day and I am not a crier.“She was an asset from her first day to last day.”

After 30 years of service, Cold Lake pharmacy employee with Down's syndrome retires

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