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OLIVER COUTRIER
Oliver Coutrier has been a life-long resident of Suffolk County Long
Island. An alumnus of Amityville High School, Mr. Coutrier earned
a degree in Pharmacy from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
After completing college, Mr. Coutrier returned to Long Island to
become one of only a few African American community pharmacists
in the Pathmark Supermarket chain. During his 35-year tenure at
Pathmark, Mr. Coutrier was able to address many neighborhood
health concerns, especially as the supervising pharmacist at the
Copiague store, which had a very large African American clientele.
Oliver Coutrier has been active in many community organizations
including Amityville Civic Association, Parent Teachers Association
at Half Hollow Hills, The Father’s Club of Wheatley Heights, Trinity
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Wyandanch and Chi Rho Chapter of
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. During his tenure with the Amityville
Civic Association, Oliver was instrumental in establishing the “Weed
and Seed” program to address the issue of drug abuse; ultimately, his
efforts led to the development of business in a blighted area located
at the intersection of Albany Ave. and Great Neck Road. At the
Parent Teachers Association of Half Hollow Hills, Mr. Coutrier was
the only father actively involved; the group successfully raised funds for many of the programs at the school. As
a member of The Father’s Club of Wheatley Heights, Oliver Coutrier created programs that supported African
American students who lived in the community. These programs fostered interaction between fathers and their
own or other children, enabling participants to be involved in positive and constructive activities that were
interesting to them.
Oliver Coutrier is active in the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of Wyandanch. He volunteers at the Mercy
Inn, which provides meals to the community of Wyandanch as well as others in need.
Through a mentoring collaborative between Chi Rho Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., Suffolk
County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and the Eastern Shore (NY) Chapter of The Links,
Incorporated, Oliver is a mentor to students at The Central Islip High School. The mentoring program delivered
at Central Islip High School consists of connecting students with various community partners such as the Job
Corps, Job Placement and the Police Department. Additionally, Oliver has been active in taking high school
students on college tours to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) such as Lincoln University.
Oliver has been married to Karen Coutrier for over 38 years. They have two children, Nicole and Philip.
24 34th Annual