Florence A. Pahl, 85, of Arlington Heights, former owner of Giftland Gift Shop in Chicago, died Tuesday, Jan. 30, in The Moorings Health Center in Arlington Heights. Born in Chicago, Mrs. Pahl was a homemaker until she and her late husband, John, decided to open a shop selling cards, party favors and gifts in the early 1960s. They sold the business in the early 1980s. In 1985, when her husband died, she moved into The Moorings. She was one of the original residents and was involved in the center’s arts and crafts program. Later she organized and ran a crafts program for residents, who learned to make gifts for hospice patients. “She always had a kind word for everyone and she would encourage one another,” said her daughter Sandra. “She had a marvelous outlook on life.” Other survivors include another daughter, Janice Kizer; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A celebration of her life will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday in St. Mark Lutheran Church, 200 S. Wille St., Mt. Prospect.
