By James Windell
In The 70-year history of the Rotary Club of South Haven, only 8 previous members have achieved the Paul Harris Level 8.
Now, there is another name added to that list – Jerry Gruber.
Gruber, who recently turned 90, was honored by Amy Nichols, Immediate Past President of the Rotary Club, and other Rotarians on August 25, 2026, as he was presented with a pin in recognition of becoming a Paul Harris Level 8 member.
“Today, in honor and celebration of Jerry’s 90th birthday, four fellow Rotarians have generously gifted Jerry to a Level 8 Paul Harris Fellow,” said Nichols. “Jerry becomes the eighth member in the history of the South Haven Rotary Club to achieve this level.”
The award is named after Paul Harris, who founded the first Rotary club in 1905. It serves to show appreciation for substantial support toward humanitarian projects, educational programs and local projects. In the Rotary Club of South Haven, Paul Harris levels are used to recognize members who support Rotary’s global humanitarian work, honor community members by awarding a Paul Harris Fellow in their name, and track cumulative giving for club‑level Foundation goals.
A Paul Harris Fellow is earned when a Rotarian reaches $1,000 in cumulative donations to The Rotary Foundation. After the first $1,000, each additional $1,000 adds a new level, represented by stones on the Paul Harris pin.
A long time and highly honored Rotarian, Gruber was the much-loved pharmacist at the local, downtown South Haven pharmacy for more than 40 years. Stories abound about how he would fulfill prescriptions after hours and deliver them to families in crisis. He is active in assisting the local food pantry, he’s an avid fisherman, and he’s said to be a great storyteller.
“This is very surprising and I’m very honored,” Gruber said as he accepted the pin embedded with three rubies. “Thank you and I appreciate it.”
