School of Pharmacy Newsroom

Remembering a Pioneer of Compounding

Written by SOP Communications | December 23, 2021

Robert 'Bob' Leslie Light, BS, '78, of Sun Lakes, Arizona passed away on November 8, 2021 after complications from COVID-19.

Bob is recognized as a pioneer of compounding who has helped the pharmaceutical industry maintain and exceed standards of quality set by state and federal levels, and whose methodologies have been adopted by Walgreens across the country. Bob traveled to Brazil to educate physicians about pharmacy compounding and said the experience was the exclamation point to an amazing pharmacy career.

Bob and his wife, Sherrill, ran Yosemite Drug Corporation for 23 years until 2003, when he sold it to Walgreens and took on the new responsibility of teaching over 600 pharmacists and technicians how to compound. After, he worked at HUMCO, first as the senior director of Compounding Professional Services, and finally as the vice president in the Pharmaceutical Resource Center.

Over the decades, Bob encouraged students to attend the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Bob was instrumental in persuading Ruth Olson, the daughter of his best friend, to apply to The School. In 2018, Bob had brought Ruth to the school’s Awards Banquet while she was a community college student. Ruth worked hard to get into the Skaggs School and achieved her goal in 2020. She is currently a member of the Class of 2024.