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                                                                Exhibit 10.5

                            ANGELICA CORPORATION

                     NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

      Angelica Corporation, a Missouri corporation (the "Company"), and the
person designated in Section 1 below (the "Optionee") hereby agree as
follows:

SECTION 1.  BASIC TERMS.

Name of Optionee:                                 Stephen M. O'Hara
                                                  -----------------------------
Social Security Number of Optionee:               [OMITTED FOR CONFIDENTIALITY]
                                                  -----------------------------
Number of Shares Subject to Option:               50,000
                                                  -----------------------------
Option Price/Base Price Per Share:                $30.00
                                                  -----------------------------
Grant Date of Option:                             September 15, 2003
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Expiration Date of Option:                        September 15, 2013
                                                  ------------------
Exercisability: The Option shall become immediately exercisable with respect
to all shares subject to the Option upon the closing stock price of the
Company's Common Stock, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange, being at
least $30.00 for five consecutive trading days at any time during the term
of this Option. The Option may become exercisable earlier than described in
the immediately preceding sentence upon the occurrence of a Change in
Control as set forth in Section 2 of this Agreement. The Optionee must be
employed by the Company on the date that the Option would have become
exercisable.

SECTION 2. ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement consists of the provisions set
forth on this cover page and the further provisions set forth on the
following pages. The Optionee represents that he has read and understood
such further provisions, which are binding on the parties as if set forth on
this cover page.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Stock Option
Agreement in duplicate as of the Grant Date.

ANGELICA CORPORATION

By    /s/ Don W. Hubble                             /s/ Stephen M. O'Hara
  -------------------------                      ---------------------------
  Chairman of the Board                          Optionee



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                            ANGELICA CORPORATION

                     NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

      This Stock Option Agreement (this "Agreement"), along with its cover
page, represents the agreement regarding the grant of a stock option (the
"Option") by and between the Company and the Optionee pursuant to that
certain Employment Agreement dated September 15, 2003 by and between the
Company and the Optionee.

1.    GRANT OF OPTION. The Company hereby grants to the Optionee the right,
      privilege and option to purchase the number of shares of common stock,
      $1.00 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), of the Company at a
      price per share, both as reflected in the cover page, in the manner
      and subject to the conditions provided herein. The Option is not
      intended to be an Incentive Stock Option, as defined in Section 422 of
      the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, with respect to any
      shares subject hereto.

2.    TIME OF EXERCISE OF OPTION. The Option shall become exercisable as
      provided on the cover page, except all options granted to Optionee
      under the Agreement that are not then exercisable shall become
      immediately exercisable upon the occurrence of a Change in Control.
      The Option will become exercisable only to the extent that the
      Optionee is employed by the Company on such date. Once exercisable,
      the Option shall remain exercisable until such Option terminates
      pursuant to Section 4 of this Agreement.

      For purposes of this Agreement, a "Change is Control" means:

             (i) the acquisition by any individual, entity or group, or a
             Person (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of
             the Exchange Act) of ownership of 20% or more of either (a) the
             then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company (the
             "Outstanding Company Common Stock") or (b) the combined voting
             power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company
             entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the
             "Outstanding Company Voting Securities"); or

             (ii) individuals who, as the date hereof, constitute the Board
             (the "Incumbent Board") cease for any reason to constitute at
             least a majority of the Board; provided, however, that any
             individual becoming a director subsequent to the date hereof
             whose election, or nomination for election, by the Company's
             stockholders was approved by a vote of at least a majority of
             the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board shall be
             considered as though such individual were a member of the
             Incumbent Board, but excluding, as a member of the Incumbent
             Board, any such individual whose initial assumption of office
             occurs as a result of either an actual or threatened election
             contest (as such terms are used in Rule l4a-11 of Regulation
             l4A promulgated under the Exchange Act) or other actual or
             threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf
             of a Person other than the Board; or

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             (iii) approval by the stockholders of the Company of a
             reorganization, merger or consolidation, in each case, unless,
             following such reorganization, merger or consolidation, (1)
             more than 50% of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of
             common stock of the corporation resulting from such
             reorganization, merger or consolidation and the combined voting
             power of the then outstanding voting securities of such
             corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of
             directors is then beneficially owned, directly or indirectly,
             by all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who
             were the beneficial owners, respectively, of the Outstanding
             Company Common Stock and Outstanding Company Voting Securities
             immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or
             consolidation in substantially the same proportions as their
             ownership, immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or
             consolidation, of the Outstanding Company Common Stock and
             Outstanding Company Voting Securities, as the case may be, (2)
             of such corporation and the combined voting power of the then
             outstanding voting securities of such corporation entitled to
             vote generally in the election of directors is then
             beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by no Person
             beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 20% or more of,
             respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock of
             the corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or
             consolidation or the combined voting power of the then
             outstanding voting securities of such corporation, entitled to
             vote generally in the election of directors, and (3) at least a
             majority of the members of the board of directors of the
             corporation resulting from such reorganization, merger or
             consolidation were members of the Incumbent Board at the time
             of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such
             reorganization, merger or consolidation; or

             (iv) approval by the stockholders of the Company of (a) a
             complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company or (b) the
             sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the
             assets of the Company, other than to a corporation, with
             respect to which following such sale or other disposition, (1)
             more than 50% of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of
             common stock all or substantially all of the individuals and
             entities who were the beneficial owners, respectively, of the
             Outstanding Company Common Stock and Outstanding Company Voting
             Securities immediately prior to such sale or other disposition
             in substantially the same proportion as their ownership,
             immediately prior to such sale or other disposition, of the
             Outstanding Company Common Stock and Outstanding Company Voting
             Securities, as the case may be, (2) no Person beneficially
             owns, directly or indirectly, 20% or more of, respectively, the
             then outstanding shares of common stock of such corporation and
             the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting
             securities of such corporation entitled to vote generally in
             the election of directors and (3) at least a majority of the
             members of the board of directors of such corporation were
             members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of
             the initial agreement or action of the Board providing for such
             sale or other disposition of assets of the Company.

3.    METHOD OF EXERCISE OF OPTION. The Option shall be exercisable in whole
      or in part to the extent then exercisable by written notice delivered
      to the Office of General Counsel of the Company stating the number of
      shares with respect to which the Option is


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      being exercised, accompanied by payment (i) by check or, in the
      discretion of the Compensation and Organization Committee, by either
      (ii) the delivery to the Company of shares of Common Stock then owned
      by the Optionee having a fair market value equal to the exercise price
      of all shares of Common Stock subject to such exercise or (iii) by any
      combination of cash and stock.

4.    TERMINATION OF OPTION. The Option, to the extent exercisable on the
      date that the Optionee ceases to be an employee of the Company, shall
      terminate in all events on the earliest to occur of the following:

           (i)     the Expiration Date specified in the cover page; or

           (ii)    three months after the date on which the Optionee
                   ceases to be an employee of the Company for any reason
                   other than death, retirement or disability; or

           (iii)   twelve months after the date on which the Optionee
                   ceases to be an employee of the Company due to death;
                   or

           (iv)    twelve months after the date on which the Optionee
                   ceases to be an employee of the Company due to
                   retirement or disability, provided, however, that, if
                   the Optionee dies within the twelve-month period after
                   his or her termination of employment due to retirement
                   or disability, then three months after his death or
                   the remainder of the twelve-month period, whichever is
                   longer.

5.    NON-TRANSFERABILITY OF OPTION. The Option is non-transferable by the
      Optionee except by will or the laws of descent and distribution or
      pursuant to a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (as defined in Section
      206(d)(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
      amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder) or to a Permissible
      Transferee, and shall be exercisable during the Optionee's lifetime
      only by the Optionee or by a Permissible Transferee. In the event of
      the Optionee's death, a Permissible Transferee or the executor or
      administrator of the Optionee's estate, as applicable, may exercise the
      Option. For purposes of this Agreement, a "Permissible Transferee" is
      (i) one or more members of the Optionee's family, (ii) one or more
      trusts for the benefit of the Optionee and/or one or more members of
      the Optionee's family, or (iii) one or more partnerships (general or
      limited), corporations, limited liability companies or other entities
      in which the aggregate interests of the Optionee and members of the
      Optionee's immediate family exceed 80 percent of all interests. The
      Optionee's immediate family for this purpose includes only the
      Optionee's spouse, children and grandchildren.

6.    ADJUSTMENTS UPON CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION, ETC. If the Company shall
      at any time change the number of issued shares of Common Stock without
      new consideration to the Company (such as by stock dividends or stock
      splits), there shall be a corresponding adjustment as to the number of
      shares covered under the Option and in the purchase price per share,
      to the end that the Optionee shall retain the Optionee's proportionate
      interest without change in the total purchase price under the Option.

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