Charles and Barbara Burnett, during the presentation of the Sheldon W. Fantle Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 NACDS Annual Meeting
Long-time Costco Pharmacies executive and NACDS supporter Charles Burnett, who passed away early in the morning of Thursday, June 1, 2017, is being remembered for his legacy as a pharmacy pioneer and dear friend.
A Celebration of Life service will be held for Burnett on Thursday, June 15, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. at The City Church, 9051 132nd Ave NE, Kirkland, WA. A reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, the Burnett Family requests donations in Charlie Burnett’s name to the Seattle Children’s Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center.
Burnett is the only individual to win both the Sheldon W. Fantle Lifetime Achievement Award and the Harold W. Pratt Award – the highest honors bestowed by NACDS.
“Although he retired from Costco in 2013, Charlie’s pioneering work for our pharmacies continues to contribute to our company’s success,” wrote Vic Curtis, Costco’s senior vice president, pharmacy, in notifying the industry of Burnett’s passing. “It has been an honor and a pleasure to have known and worked with Charles Burnett for the past 26 years and I often reflect on his unique contributions to our profession and his ethical and honest style of conducting business.”
NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE, said, “I distinctly remember how it felt to see Charlie win the Fantle Award in 2010, and the Pratt Award in 2007. Both presentations were true celebrations of extraordinary dedication, accomplishment, friendship and class. The loss of Charlie will be felt by so many people whose lives he affected so positively and so deeply. We stand with Barbara and their family, with the extended Costco family, and with their dear friends, in remembering Charlie warmly, and giving thanks for his amazing life.”
Burnett, a U.S. military veteran and pharmacy leader since the 1950s, held several important positions with the industry and beyond pharmacy. From his service with FedMart and Save Mart Supermarkets to his years developing and expanding Costco Pharmacies, Burnett was a pharmacy pioneer. He was instrumental in opening the first Costco pharmacy in 1986 and overseeing the opening and operations of nearly 500 other locations.
Sheldon W. Fantle Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation, 2010 NACDS Annual Meeting
