Long-time garden center owner Frank Pesche dies at 88

A familiar face and untiring contributor at Pesche’s Garden Center in Des Plaines, Ill., died at the age of 88 on Saturday.

For more than five decades, Frank John Pesche worked around the clock at the garden center, flower store and nursery, which his father launched in 1924 when Frank was just a toddler, according to the company’s website. Pesche and his siblings took over the store in 1955 and Pesche’s son, Chris, runs the store today.

Pesche's Garden Center posted these photos of Frank Pesche and his family to the store's Facebook page on Monday.

Throughout its history, the garden center has specialized in carnations, chrysanthemums and other cut flowers and even employed German POWs from a nearby prison camp during World War II. Pesche’s continues to provide home furnishings, décor, fine art and other accents as well as plants and growing supplies.

According to Pesche’s obituary published on The Daily Herald, visiting hours for Pesche will be Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at G.L. Hills Funeral Home at 745 Graceland Avenue in Des Plaines. Visitation on Thursday will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church at 749 Pearson St. in Des Plaines, starting 10 a.m. and ending 11 a.m. with funeral mass. Burial will be at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines.