Peter Bond says after he followed in his mother's footsteps in the 1970s and became a pharmacist, the most rewarding aspect has been his ability to help people.
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However, after more than 40 years serving and caring for the Riverside community as a pharmacist he is about to hang up his white coat and retire.
Mr Bond said most of his regular customers may not know he was retiring this month, as signs had only just gone up announcing it, but there would be an open-invite afternoon tea in November to celebrate.
"I'm a Riverside boy through and through," he said.
"It's my opportunity to say goodbye to my customers. I've worked with a lot of good people, but I've also had a lot of good customers so I just want to say goodbye to the customers.
"[Tuesday] is my last working day, but I officially retire at the end of October.
"The highlight really is being able to help customers, help people within pharmacy. We're in a very lucky position as pharmacists where we see that customers come in with health ailments that we can help them with or refer them to doctors or whatever it might be, it's satisfying to be able to help people."
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He graduated as a pharmacist in 1977 and worked in Perth and travelled internationally before settling back in Tasmania.
In 1980 he purchased Bonds Pharmacy in Riverside from his mother, Ailsa Bond, who was his initial inspiration to get into the profession.
However, in 1997 he joined forces with the other pharmacy in town, owned by Donald Calver, to amalgamate and form Riverside Pharmacy.
Before in 2011 the business added Windsor Capital Chemist to its portfolio as a part of the Windsor Community Precinct.
Mr Bond said initially he did not know what he wanted to study at university.
"I just went to uni and did a general science degree and I didn't really have any idea what I was going to do, but pharmacy was always in the family," he said.
"Then I surprised myself and passed first year at uni and then went into pharmacy."
The Riverside Golf Club life member is limiting himself to two days of golf a week in retirement to tie in with his plans to continue his investment in Velo Wines and to spend time with his family.
"That'll be a bit of an interest, the winery, and grandchildren and we've got family on the mainland as well. So hopefully at some stage we'll get over to see them," he said.
The 67-year-old has two children with his wife Margaret Bond and four grandchildren, with one more on the way.
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Isobel Cootes
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
