Howard Richard Eldridge, 86, of Connersville, Indiana, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday morning November 15, 2021.

He was born October 31, 1935 in Huntsville Alabama to Albert and Myrtle Eldridge.  He was the 5 ^th of 6 children.  Howard lived a full and accomplished life, centered on faith and family.  From an early age he devoted his life to Jesus Christ, and following his Lord became the guiding principle behind every decision he made in life.

He was a member of the Connersville Church of Christ from 1964.  He served as an elder in that church for over 30 years.  He regularly taught Bible classes and preached from the pulpit.  But it was his extraordinary example as a Christian man that stands out above all his other accomplishments.

Howard's family moved from Huntsville, Alabama to Hammond, Indiana in 1950.  He graduated from Hammond High School in 1953.  Soon after that, at a church event, he met the love of his life, Betty.  They courted and were married on September 1, 1956.  Soon after he entered Purdue University and graduated in 1960 with a degree in Pharmacy.

Howard and Betty moved to Connersville in February of 1964 with their 4 young children.  He purchased Grandview Pharmacy in 1969 and began the process of guiding that business from a neighborhood pharmacy to the one of the largest independent pharmacies in the nation.

During his tenure as owner of Grandview Pharmacy, that business was named as the Healthmart Pharmacy of the Year in North America.  It also employed the Indiana Pharmacist of the Year, Technician of the Year, and Nurse of the Year.  Grandview Pharmacy was the first independent pharmacy in the nation to employ robotics in the filling of prescriptions.  Internships at Grandview Pharmacy, in partnership with Purdue and Butler Universities, helped educate young pharmacists.  Hundreds of people in the Fayette County area have worked at one time for Grandview Pharmacy in some capacity.  Many are now pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, administrators, or executives in the healthcare field.

But above all, he loved being a community pharmacist.  He wanted to help others, to serve others.  There were many nights that he was called to the pharmacy to deliver medicine to those in need.

Howard loved calling Connersville home.  He was active in supporting the community.  He supported the local county fair and the young people of Fayette County who worked so hard raising and showing their animals.  He loved life on the farm.

He is survived by his wife, Betty.  He is survived by three of his four children, Ralph Eldridge (Lisa), Lori King (Jim) and Glenn Eldridge (Deidre).  (A daughter, Rhonda Eldridge died in 2009).  He is survived by a sister, Margie Travis.  He is survived by 11 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

A calling will be held at the Connersville Church of Christ at 575 Erie Street from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 20, 2021.  A service in Celebration of Howard's life will immediately follow at 2 p.m.  Burial will then follow that service at Valley Grove Cemetery.

Urban Winkler Funeral home is honored to be assisting the family with arrangements.

To sign the online guestbook or to leave the family with a personal message visit www.urbanwinklerfuneralhome.com.