Individual Details

Dale Thomas Kirlin was born in 1917 in Adams County, Illinois. Dale married Marian Gorman.

They had two (2) children of their marriage.


The Quincy Herald-Whig, January 6, 2008
Business Hall of Fame to add three
By Edward Husar
DALE KIRLIN SR.
Born on a farm in Stillwell, Ill., on Aug. 11, 1916, Dale Kirlin Sr. graduated from Mendon High School in 1933 and soon started working as a stock boy in an S.S. Kresge Store in Omaha, Neb. His work habits helped him advance in the company. He worked for Kresge stores in several cities before moving to Detroit as an assistant buyer for the home office. World War II ended Kirlin's career with the Kresge Co. While working in a defense-related job with General Motors, he dabbled in several entrepreneurial ventures before starting an Andes Candies store in downtown Quincy in 1948 - "39 steps from Sixth and Maine." His timing was excellent because most of the local candy kitchens had closed due to a shortage of sugar during the war. Soon, the store added greeting cards and then gifts. When Kirlin believed his first store was functioning well, he added a second store in Hannibal, Mo. Over the years, Kirlin patiently opened one store at a time, waited for the new store to prove profitable and then opened his next store. Today, with 98 stores in 10 states, Kirlin's is the largest Hallmark dealer in America.

In the early years of building a business, Kirlin had little time for community affairs. However, as he began to delegate responsibilities to his sons in the early 1970s, Kirlin became a key civic leader. The company spent about $500,000 refinishing its building on the corner of Fifth and Maine, providing a boost to the Historic Quincy Business District. He has been an active volunteer and supporter of Quincy Notre Dame High School, Quincy University and the Elk's Club. Kirlin also is a past president of the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce and served for many years on the Quincy Plan Commission and Community Development Commission. He has been a director of the United Way of Adams County, Illinois State Bank of Quincy, the Distributive Education Program and the Quincy Country Club. Kirlin also served as a director of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association from 1961 to 1964.

Kirlin was awarded the Parker S. Gates Award and the Boy Scouts' Distinguished Citizen Award. He is a member of the Illinois Business Hall of Fame and the American Business Hall of Fame. He was named a Retailer of the Century by the Illinois Retail Merchants Association in 2000. Kirlin and his wife, Marian, have four children. He retired in 1976 and continues to reside in Quincy.

Hannibal Courier-Post, Hannibal, Missouri, Wednesday, November 4, 2009: Dale T. Kirlin Sr., founder of the Kirlin's Hallmark store chain, died Tuesday at age 93 in Quincy, Ill. Kirlin opened his first candy store on March 13, 1948 in downtown Quincy, and soon adding greeting cards to the store's merchandise. Today, the company has more than 100 stores in 10 Midwest states, including two in Quincy and one in Hannibal. It is Hallmark's largest independent distributor in the nation. Kirlin retired in 1981, but stayed active in community affairs. His son, Dale Jr., is chairman of the company and other family members are involved. Hansen-Spear Funeral Home in Quincy is in charge of arrangements.

Birth	11 Aug 1916	Adams Co., Illinois
Marriage	Aft 1940	Marian Gorman
Death	3 Nov 2009	Quincy, Adams Co., Illinois
Alt name		Dale T. Kirlin
SSN issued		Nebraska
Burial		Quincy Memorial Park, Quincy, Adams Co., Illinois

Spouse	Marian Gorman (1917 - 1989)
Child	Gary Kirlin ( - )
Child	Dale Thomas Kirlin Jr. ( - )

Father	Thomas J. Kirlin (1890 - 1925)
Mother	Nellie Mae White (1895 - 1985)
Sibling	Donald William Kirlin (1920 - 1952)