Denise Ahalt Land, 85, of Carthage, passed away at 10:20 A.M. Thursday, December 26, 2019, at the Red Maple Care Center in Carthage.

 

Denise was born January 7, 1934, the daughter of Joshua Dawson and Anne (Kelleher) Ahalt in Jersey City, New Jersey.  She grew up on Pine Key, an island off the coast of Florida. Denise graduated from St. Petersburg High School in 1952 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

 

Denise was employed by Eastern Airlines in Tampa, C & J Travel in Dover, New Hampshire and Great Bay Marina in Newington, New Hampshire.  She was the administrator of Hawthorne Lodge Nursing Home in Sullivan, Illinois and was the office manager of Murphy Cap and Gown in St. Petersburg, Florida.

 

Denise kept active in retirement by volunteering at the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, the Red Cross, the food pantry, Food for Thought, the Carthage Library, and taught water aerobics.  She was active in the Catholic Women’s Club and was the Hancock County Republican Woman of the Year in 2005. She was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Carthage.

 

Denise is survived by four children, William Joseph (Deirdre) Gambrell of Lawrenceville, Georgia, Ann (Derek) Vannice of Clive, Iowa, Richard Hiers (Pam) Gambrell of Carthage and Carol Gambrell-Hughes of Flowery Branch, Georgia; four step-children, Linda (Dale) Schiff of Troy, Illinois, Patti Land-Wisley of North Port, Florida, Nancie Taylor of Mattoon, Illinois and Pam Land of Sullivan, Illinois; fourteen grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.

 

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers and sisters, Michael Ahalt, Anne Perfit, Loretta Puopolo, Sheila Goss and Mary Quaid.

 

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, January 18, 2019 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Carthage with burial to follow in Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Carthage.  Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 8:00 P.M. Friday evening at Printy Funeral Home in Carthage. Memorials may be directed to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Carthage or Hickory Grove (Red Maple) Apartments in Carthage.  Printy Funeral Home of Carthage is in charge of arrangements.