After 25 years with Mayflower Florist, including 10 as its owner, Karen Passarelli has decided to pass it on to the next generation. STAFF PHOTOS/BROOKE WILLIAMS Holt Wiggans recently took over Mayflower Florist in Tunkhannock. Karen Passarelli believes a community flower shop could touch a lot of lives. In her 25 years with Mayflower Florist in Tunkhannock—15 as an employee and 10 as the owner—she has done just that by providing flowers for special occasions and sad times, too. Passarelli took over the business after its former owner Katie Sands passed away in 2010. “I really enjoyed the business and I wanted to take it to the next level,” Passarelli remembered. Over the years, she has enjoyed getting to know the community and helping out in any way possible, especially with the Tunkhannock Area School District. Recently, she decided it was time for the next generation to take over Mayflower so she could retire with her husband. “We’re planning to be snowbirds. We have a cottage in New York and we bought a house in Florida,” Passarelli said. With her son in New York and her daughter in Florida, it was a perfect arrangement. The new owner Holt Wiggans shadowed her for about a month before taking over on Feb. 1. “It’s in good hands. He has a lot of great ideas,” Passarelli said. “Some of the designers have stayed on, so you’ll see familiar faces and new faces.” Wiggans grew up in the area, graduating from Tunkhannock Area High School in 2014. In high school, he opened Wiggans Property Services, a local landscaping business. Wiggans graduated with Passarelli’s son and knew the family growing up. He heard that Passarelli was looking to move on to the next chapter in her life and wanted to take on a new […]