Joe H. Giles

Funeral Services at First Baptist Church, Temple, OK, Thursday, March 5, 2020 at 2:00 p.m., Rev. Kevin Simpson and Rev. Jay Driskill officiating with burial in the Temple Cemetery under the direction of Hart-Wyatt Funeral Home in Temple.

Major Joe H. Giles, USA, Retired, made his final PCS (permanent change of station) when he transitioned from this earthly plain to the heavenly plain to be with Jesus Christ, his Savior and Lord. Joe was born in Good Hope, AL on the 28th day of August in the year of our Lord 1932. He passed away in Lawton, OK on the 27th day of February in the year of our Lord 2020.

As a youth Joe moved with his family and lived in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana. In his senior year the family moved to Artesia, New Mexico where he graduated from Artesia High School. He attended Howard College, the oldest Baptist College in the United States at that time. He worked at the Artesia Refinery and then moved to Mangum, OK to work with his father until enlisting in the Army in November 1952.

He did basic training at Camp Roberts, CA and then headed to Fort Devens, MA before receiving orders for Keflavik, Iceland. In July 1953, He was reassigned to the 522nd Infantry Battalion (separate), Fort Sill, OK. While at Fort Sill he met and married his wife, Margaret Belle Henderson. Their marriage lasted for 41 years, terminated by Margaret’s death in 1996.

Upon leaving the army he moved the family to Carlsbad, NM where he received his Associate Degree from Carlsbad College. They then moved to Waco, TX where he received his Bachelors from Baylor in 1958. He was then employed by the Texas Department of Welfare as a Child Welfare Worker in Brownville and Harlingen, TX. After heading up several child welfare units across Texas, Joe was instrumental in creating the first ever "child abuse program" in the Army. This led to a number of speaking engagements and he was eventually asked to return to active duty. After a 14-year separation, Joe returned to active duty as a Captain providing social work services. His duty stations included Texas, Kentucky, Kansas, Germany and Korea. Joe was proud to help create the 'rape crisis" program for the Army while stationed in Germany. He retired as a Major in 1986 and then worked as a Adult Probation Officer for Dallas County, Dallas, TX. The couple moved to Temple, OK in 1994. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Temple, serving as a deacon, choir member and soloist.

Major Giles was preceded in death by his parents, Oscie Leroy and Ethel Isabelle (Calvert) Giles; 4 brothers, Moy Leo, John, Jerry Lee, and James C.; 2 sisters, Jane Ann and an unnamed infant.

Survivors include a daughter, Patricia Davis and husband Ken of The Colony, TX; a son, Joe H. Giles, Jr. of Temple; 2 grandsons, Kurtis Andrew Davis and wife Lynzi of Denton, TX and Nathaniel Gage Giles of Weatherford, OK; a granddaughter, Cynthia Belle Giles of Denton, TX; numerous nephews, nieces and cousins.