A LOOK BACK -- JERRY PERSON

Last week’s column looked at some of our past Main Street business

owners including pharmacist Larry Pardee of the Huntington Beach Cut Rate

Drug Store. This week, we are going to look at another pharmacist whose

drug store sat right across the street from Pardee’s at 201 Main St. It

was known for many years as Waite’s Main Street Drug, and its

owner-pharmacist was Noble J. Waite.

When I went to school at Huntington Park High, our principal was none

other then W. Noble Waite, the father of our pharmacist Noble Waite.

Our pharmacist Noble Waite was born on Nov. 14, 1921, in Fallon, Nev.

When he was was 2, the family moved to Huntington Park. He attended Bell

High School, a rival of Huntington Park High, but I can’t hold that

against him.

Noble J., his father W. Noble, and his mother June, lived at 5928

Corona in Huntington Park.

His father taught school there before becoming principal of the high

school. After Noble graduated from Bell High, he went to Drake

University.

During World War II, Noble joined the Air Force and became a pilot in

the 8th Army Air Corps. He flew B-17s in England, France, Germany and

Russia.

By the time the war ended, Noble attained the rank of captain. He was

considered the youngest heavy bombardment pilot in the war.

Noble graduated from USC’s School of Pharmacy.

In 1945, he married Lenore Sly of Beaver, Utah. Their first son,

William N., was born on Nov. 8, 1949, and later, a second son, Mark S.

was born on May 30, 1952.

In 1951, Noble purchased the Main Street drug store from Bill Hoppock.

The Waite family lived then at 616 Hartford and later moved to 1718

Park St. in Huntington Beach.

During the 1960s, Beach Boulevard was becoming commercialized and

Noble opened a second drug store at 17522 Beach Blvd. For a short time,

he continued operating the Main Street location.

After he closed the Main Street location, he continued to run the

Beach Boulevard store for many years.

Noble is an elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

and still lives in Huntington Beach with his second wife, Beverly.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident.