Meet the woman running popular Dinglewood Pharmacy in Columbus after owner’s death
Terry Hurley purchased Dinglewood Pharmacy & Gifts the same year his daughter, Kellie Oliver, was born.
Oliver began working at the iconic midtown Columbus business as soon as she could work, she told the Ledger-Enquirer. Hurley started her with washing dishes before moving to the soda fountain and the cash register.
Along with the pharmacy, Dinglewood also serves food, including their “famous Scrambled Dogs,” and sells gifts.
“Then, in my late teens, he moved me back into the pharmacy,” Oliver said. “And I’ve been here ever since.”
Today, Oliver plans to keep Dinglewood going with as little change as possible after Hurley left the business to his family when he died last month.
“We’re just trying to keep it as he would want it,” Oliver said. “He loved his customers. He loved the community, and that’s what we want to continue to do.”
Hurley, who was 82, had been preparing Oliver to fully take over ownership of Dinglewood for the past couple of years. Along with the training Hurley provided, Oliver learned the business as she grew up watching Hurley and how he was with customers.
After Hurley died, many Dinglewood customers posted messages of support and personal stories about his positive impact on the community. Oliver still reads the messages on social media, including ones sent to her privately.
“I love reading them,” Oliver said. “And I love people sharing them. It was really sweet.”
Oliver watched how her father was with customers throughout her life, she said, and how good he was at paying it forward. Dinglewood meant a lot to Hurley, Oliver said, and she knows she has “big shoes to fill.”
The store also means a lot to herself, she said, but Oliver looks forward to continuing Hurley’s legacy.
“I just feel like we’re honoring him if we keep it going,” she said. “And we keep it like he would want it.”
Hurley put his heart and soul into Dinglewood, Oliver said. Even though her father is no longer in the building, his presence is still felt by customers and employees. Working at Dinglewood has kept Oliver busy since Hurley’s death, and she feels like the business keeps her connected to him.
“We feel him here when we listen to the music,” Oliver said. “We just feel him all around us here.”
