With great sadness, we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Florence Nelson Nowlin (Flo), of Delray Beach, Florida, on August 12, 2023. Ever the poet, she actually died on her 89th birthday!

Flo was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and moved to Lake Worth, Florida, as a young girl. She graduated from Lake Worth High School in 1952, where, not surprisingly, she was voted Wittiest Female of her graduating class. She then attended business classes and later used her business acumen to run several businesses.

In 1957, she met James Nowlin, Jr., (Jim), and after a three-month courtship, he proposed. They were married on May 3, 1958. The early years of their marriage were filled with driving sports cars through Europe and winning road rallies across Palm Beach County.

In 1961, Flo and Jim welcomed their first daughter, and by 1965, with a fourth on the way, they realized they needed more space and moved to Lone Pine Road in Delray. Soon, there were chickens, Guinea pigs, snakes, ducks, rabbits, honeybees and horses alongside the many stray dogs and cats!

While her daughters attended St. Joseph's School in Boynton Beach, Flo was an active volunteer; she was known as "the hot-lunch lady" for starting the Thursday Hot-lunch Program and also was "the uniform lady," overseeing the distribution of school uniforms at the end of every summer. Who can forget the School Supplies/Safety Program in the library or the Country Fair that even had pony rides?!?

Flo co-owned businesses in Delray ranging from PBI, Inc., a real estate investment firm, to Happy Daze Children's Clothing Shop and Hagen's Paint and Home Design. In 1981, Flo decided that downtown Delray Beach needed a coffee shop and opened the Green Owl Coffee Shop on Atlantic Avenue to great acclaim.

Flo, along with her whole family, was an active member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church and an alto in the church choir for many years. Later in life, Flo fulfilled her lifelong passion for dancing and became an avid ballroom dancer.

Flo is survived by her four daughters, Bonnie (Dan) Davis, Suzy (Michael) Vied, Sandy (Bob) Schooley and Joni Nowlin. She also had four wonderful grandchildren, Alexandra (Dylan) Wilbur, Samantha Davis, Justin Schooley and Jared Schooley, all of whom affectionately called her "Ma."  She is predeceased by her husband who died on December 18, 2012.

A memorial gathering will be held on Friday, August 25, 2023, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Lorne & Sons Funeral Home, 745 NE 6th Avenue (North Federal Highway), Delray Beach, FL 33483.  She will be interred at St. Paul's Church, Delray Beach, alongside her husband.