Cheryl Van Winkle
Cheryl Van Winkle, who grew what started as a family grocery and flower business into two retail flower locations and a floral wholesale company in Washington, died Nov. 6. She was 72.
Cheryl, with her husband Spark, purchased Stadium Market (which later became Stadium Flowers) in Everett, Washington from Cheryl’s mother and later that year opened a flower shop nearby in Lynnwood, Washington.
Seeking to source the freshest flowers, the Van Winkles began buying direct from farms in California. In 1991, the year the Andean Trade Preference Act granted duty-free importing of flowers from some South American countries, the Van Winkles opened Cascade Floral Wholesale in Everett and began importing flowers, says their son, Adam Van Winkle, who now runs the business with his wife, Darla.
“This was like the Wild West, when importers were just starting to become something,” he says. The wholesale division also made bouquets for distribution at regional grocery stores and sold to flower shops.
Adam describes Cheryl “a pioneer in business” because she knew the value of investing in technology and nurturing the growth of the company.
“My mom was always on the forefront of whatever technology was coming out,” he says. “She was a student of the business.”
Cheryl developed many lifelong professional relationships through the Society of American Florists, where she served on the Retailers Council, and the 10 Group, a small network of floral professionals who met regularly to foster growth in their businesses.
Cheryl and Spark retired in 2019 after 41 years in business.
Chuck Gainan, a past SAF president, knew Cheryl professionally and personally through the 10 Group.
“ was one of the most important things I was ever involved in, and Cheryl was a big, big part of that with her forward thinking and contributions during the meetings,” he says.
As he learned about the Van Winkle’s business, he developed a lot of respect and admiration for their “leading edge” thinking.
“The business that they established out there in Washington, it was a showplace example of how to sell a lot of flowers that were presented beautifully and priced right for the consumer,” Gainan says.
Read Van Winkle’s obituary here.
Amanda Jedlinsky is the managing editor of SAF NOW.
