COLUMBUS, Ohio — The founder and original owner of The Flag Lady store in Clintonville passed away at age 87 on Monday, the family shared on Facebook.
Mary Leavitt, also known as The Flag Lady, was described as a woman who loved God, her family and her country “with every fiber of her being.” She was surrounded by her family when she passed away.
“Thank you to all of you for all of your support of Mary over these many years,” a Facebook post on the store's page said in part. “While we mourn today, we are encouraged that her legacy will live on through the business she founded for many generations to come. She now rests within the arms of her Father in heaven and her beloved husband Thomas Benson Leavitt.”
Her journey with the business started in Illinois, where she began selling flags from the trunk of her car in 1980 during the Iranian Crisis. She eventually opened a shop in 1987 and in 1990 she moved to the location on North High Street that still stands today.
It is now known as one of the largest independent flag retailers in the country.
Mary retired in 2017, passing the business on to her daughter, Lori Leavitt Watson.
The business has been open for 40 years selling American flags, State of Ohio and other state flags, international flags, Ohio State Buckeye flags, custom flags, flag poles and more.
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