Knolls Pharmacy Receives Rotary Business Person of Year Award

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

Knolls Pharmacy has received this year’s Palisades Rotary Club’s Business Person of the Year Award, honoring the efforts of Gordon and Shirley Wong.

The couple was officially recognized at the club’s awards ceremony, which took place on Tuesday, December 13, at Modo Mio. A plaque was presented to them in the name of Knolls Pharmacy.

Shirley attended Hollywood High School and went on to graduate from California State University, Los Angeles, in 1982 with a degree in information systems. She worked for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and at an entertainment company for a stint.

Gordon—a longtime local—attended Paul Revere Middle School and graduated from Palisades Charter High School in 1974. He earned his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Pacific in 1982.

The two met through family members, “but think [that] is boring so tell [the] story—even to their kids—that they met at a bar to make it more interesting,” according to the Wongs.

Shirley and Gordon married in Los Angeles in 1985 with a traditional Chinese banquet.

They have been running Knolls Pharmacy since 1989. Shirley joined Gordon at the pharmacy after having their three sons. Neighbors recalled her working through her pregnancy with her daughter, Jessica—who can be seen helping at the pharmacy today.

“Their four children were raised in the pharmacy and many … customers have seen them grow since elementary school,” according to the Wong family. “Although owning their own business is not an easy endeavor, they reap the rewards of being their own boss, being able to work with, and for, the community, to help people get and stay healthy, and to consider the Palisades community their friends and family is the best outcome of working hard.”

Friends and neighbors on Marquez Avenue celebrated 30 years of Knolls Pharmacy with Shirley and Gordon on Saturday, October 12, in 2019. They thanked the community by treating them to In-N-Out.

“Through over 33 years of dedication to the community and the community’s support, Knolls Pharmacy has flourished,” the family stated. “They support the local schools because they know kids are our future and it is important to instill a sense of duty, respect, hard work and a sense of humor.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the pharmacy remained open, following safety protocols, and “worked hard” to secure and provide the Palisades with masks, gloves and disinfectants.

“Gordon and Shirley strive to improve their patients’ well-being in body and mind by dispensing medications and listening with empathy for their patients,” according to a press release. “They truly show concern for their customers, whom they consider as family.”