Alvin L Werner

Alvin Werner was born in St. Louis on March 2, 1931. He grew-up on Etzel Avenue in the West End, in the loving home of his immigrant parents Lenore and Meyer Werner and older sister Edith. He attended University City High School, class of 1948, and at the age of 18 registered for the U.S. Army draft. He matriculated at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy, but his education was interrupted in 1950 when he was inducted and sent to join the Korean War, where he served in the medic corps.

Alvin earned his degree in pharmacy, as had his father. He joined his parents’ business at an old-fashioned family drugstore on Easton Avenue (now MLK Drive) in Wellston. Alvin and his father ran the pharmacy end; his mother ran the soda fountain.

After his father passed away in 1960, Alvin sold the store and became the beloved head pharmacist at Ladue Rexall Drugs, where everyone turned to him for advice — both pharmaceutical and otherwise. He was the soft-spoken, knowledgeable man in the white jacket there for over 25 years.

Alvin thoroughly enjoyed his family. He was devoted to his mother Lenore, and loved his sister Edith and brother-in-law Albert, nephews Dan and Tom, and his greats, Emma, Joey, and Josh, as well as great-great Lyle. He attended and brought infectious good cheer to every single holiday, graduation and other milestone celebration. He travelled extensively with Edith and Albert, visiting the four corners of the world, including exotic foreign service posts of his nephew Tom.

A lifelong Cardinals baseball fan, he also was a loyal patron of St. Louis classics Imo's pizza and Ted Drewe's frozen custard.

Alvin was a stalwart at Congregation B’nai Amoona, and an avid student of adult Jewish learning, participating in weekly study groups for decades. He had a smile, a kind word, and a joke for everyone. He never had a bad word to say about anyone and he never complained.

Always modest and reserved, in recent times Alvin often summed up his past week as “Pretty good!” and his medical ordeals as “Not bad!”

He spoke sparingly, but laughed abundantly. He had an amazing ability to find humor and joy in the ordinary moments of everyday life. When an 8-year-old great-nephew asked why he laughed so much, he said “It keeps me young, and people say that’s why my hair is still red!”

His sweet, calm presence and ready laugh will be missed by all. His memory is a blessing.

Funeral Service Sunday, June 14 at 2:30 PM at BERGER MEMORIAL CHAPEL, 9430 Olive Boulevard. Interment follows at B’nai Amoona Cemetery, 930 North and South Memorial contributions preferred to Congregation B’nai Amoona Camp Scholarship Funds.