Lansdale Mourns Loss of Local Business Icon Margie Booz

The holiday season in Lansdale will be a little darker, without one of the town’s brightest lights.

"Lansdale lost one of its matriarchs and avid community supporters, in the founder of Chantilly Floral: we lost Margie Booz on Monday,” said councilwoman Mary Fuller.

"To say she will be missed is an understatement,” she said.

Margie and her husband, Chuck, bought what was named North Penn Florist at the time in 1976, after Margie had already begun selling locally grown flowers. The store grew into what was renamed Chantilly Floral Boutique in 2009, a one-stop shop for flowers, candy, perfume, jewelry, clothing, handbags and more, located at the busy Main and Walnut street intersection adjacent to the town’s main train station, and with a second shop in Harleysville.

"Margie claimed she did not know anything about running a business when she started. Obviously, she learned what she needed to, as she has been running the business ever since,” said then-councilman Steve Malagari, now the borough’s state representative, when he presented Booz with the borough’s Business of the Month award in 2017.

"I asked Margie where the name came from, thinking it had some kind of significance. But much to my surprise, it actually was a name that was randomly picked, that sounded more like a boutique’s name than a strict floral shop,” he said.

In addition to following the latest trends in fashion and flowers, Margie and her family grew deeply involved with the community over the years, by leading the Lansdale Business Association, sponsoring and taking part in events such as First Fridays, the Under the Lights Car Show, Bike Night, Lansdale Day and Founders Day, hosting a mural painted by the LBA Mural Arts Program, and helping to organize holiday house tours through the Lansdale Historical Society, whose longtime president Dick Shearer called her "Lansdale’s First Lady of Flowers.”

"Some people are ‘givers’ while others are ‘receivers.’ Margie most definitely was a giver. She gave so much of her time, her support, her expertise and her good will to those around her and the community she loved so much. Her help organizing and overseeing the Lansdale Historical Society’s annual holiday house tours is just one example of her volunteerism which often went unheralded,” Shearer said.

"I don’t know how many times I heard someone say ‘We need more Margie Boozes in Lansdale’. Her smile, her good humor and her willingness to get involved whenever she could be of help will be greatly missed by many,” he said.

Boox also helped run the town’s annual TubaChristmas concert and LBA Holiday Tree Display, which brings visitors to town each winter to see dozens of holiday trees decorated by local businesses, nonprofits and other organizations.

"The borough is saddened to hear of the loss of long-time resident and business owner Margie Booz.  A successful businesswoman in her own right, she was also an acclaimed leader in the Lansdale business community assisting countless other businesses in town through her generosity and passion for seeing Lansdale businesses thrive,” said borough Manager John Ernst.

"Margie’s creative spirit made our town a little brighter every holiday season with the decorating and lighting of the annual Christmas Tree, but she made a major contribution in everything she was involved in from the former Lansdale Business Association to the Lansdale Historical Society,” he said.

In 2015, her décor caught eyes outside the borough: Booz and Chantilly were chosen to help decorate the White House that winter, and she stayed in the nation’s capital for several days, working with decorators from across the country to decorate the national mansion.

And those Lansdale-themed t-shirts, pins and other attire sold at town events by event nonprofit Discover Lansdale was often, behind the scenes, stored at Chantilly between town events.

In recognition of her decades of effort to boost and promote Lansdale and its downtown, Booz was named the borough’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner in 2016, the first woman to earn that honor, and at that time Fuller said that "you’d be hard pressed to find anybody in town that has given more of their life than she has, to bettering Lansdale and this community.”

She’d also never hesitate to share the business perspective on everything from decorating storefronts to electric rates and parking prices in town, and Fuller said in 2016 Margie "has always taken the lead to help new businesses as they come in, or anybody with a business question. She has led the Lansdale Business Association, and she continues to promote businesses,” adding "It would hardly be Christmas or the holiday season in Lansdale without her.”

A holiday season without her will now be a reality: Chantilly posted on the store’s Facebook page Tuesday that "Our beloved mother, grandmother, friend and founder of Chantilly Floral Boutique” had passed away the day before, adding that "she will be missed dearly by her loved ones and friends.”

Malagari said Thursday that Booz was "an amazing woman and community member. So sorry for the loss to the family. May her memory be eternal.” Longtime North Penn High School theater director Cindy Louden said Booz was "a true mentor and friend to me — so generous with all the props and set pieces that she loaned to me for NPHS Theatre, for the 4-Star Dinner Theatre and for the hoped-for Lansdale Center for the Performing Arts.”

"Nothing was ever too much either for her or Barbara and so beautifully and creatively assembled. I remember so well their welcoming smiles and greetings! I was so privileged to be welcomed into the Booz/North Penn/Chantilly Family and see Marge receive the Senator Holl Award, decorate the White House, and be honored by the Lansdale-North Penn Community. What wonderful traditions and community involvement the Booz Family has given to Lansdale,” Louden said.

Robin Herwig-Becker said Margie "was the best boss ever! She inspired my love of flowers and floral creations,” and Cathy Barndt said she was "so happy Margie fulfilled a dream to decorate the White House.” Tracey Vandenplas said Margie "was a woman before her time! A great role model for other creative entrepreneurs. She made my wedding bouquet and it was absolutely beautiful,” and Debbie Traynor said "she was a beautiful soul. Always when I came in to shop she was so pleasant. She will be missed.”

Debbie McColgan shared the welcome she received after she recently returned to work for Chantilly after a 14-year stint at a local school district.

"My first day back was last month, when I parked my car behind the Lansdale store. Marge was sitting on her porch talking to a neighbor. I walked over and reintroduced myself, and told her I had worked for Charles and her years ago, and it was my first day returning. She responded with her huge smile, saying, ‘Well, I guess we were not that bad to work for, if you are coming back!’ And she was totally spot on. She will be forever in the many hearts she touched.”

"Lansdale has lost a great friend and cheerleader and we are forever grateful for her positivity and enthusiasm for everything Lansdale,” Ernst said, a message echoed in a Facebook post by the borough Thursday.

Fuller added her own condolences, announcing the passing at the close of council’s meeting Wednesday night, after promoting several upcoming holiday events Booz helped make happen

"She’s made her mark on this borough. Remember her, and her family,” Fuller said.

Booz passed away Monday at 85 and her husband, Charles Harry Booz, had passed away on March 7, roughly two months before what would have been their 65th wedding anniversary in May, according to her obituary. Her memorial service will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 2 pm on Monday, November 13, 2023, at the Huff and Lakjer Funeral Home, 701 Derstine Avenue, Lansdale.

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