Giles – It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of Delbert Murry Giles of Brooks, Alberta. He peacefully passed away on December 1st, 2022, in Medicine Hat, Alberta with his loved ones by his side. Del was born in Medicine Hat on December 31st, 1943, the second child to Harry and Helen Giles. He resided in Shuler, until the age of five, when his parents decided to buy a quarter section of irrigated land and move to Cassils, in 1949. This move was made because there was no school where the sheep ranch was in Schuler. Del did most of his grade school at Cassils School, attended some grades in Rosemary, and finished off at the Brooks School, where he played football. After high school, he extended his football career playing for the Calgary Colts for two years, before returning to the farm. After returning to the farm, he purchased his first ten cows at the age of nineteen, and expanded his operation to include hogs, and picked up odd jobs here and there. He then went on to get a full-time job at the local tire shop in Brooks. When the tire shop closed in 1968, Del and his partner rented an old garage, purchased stock and equipment and Uptown Tire was started. He married Jean Armstrong on July 7th, 1971, expanding their family having 3 children, Heather, Murry, and Jason. In 1974, he decided to sell the tire shop and purchased more farmland adjoining the existing home quarter. As the years passed, the family farm expanded adding more land and cows to what it is today. Over the years he served on many boards including, Dinosaur Gas Co-op, Eyremore Grazing Association, Cassils Community Centre, Bow Slope Shipping, and the Eastern Irrigation District. Del is best remembered for his generosity, fairness, honesty, patience, being a man of few words, but when he spoke you listened, and most of all the love for his family. Del was predeceased by his parents Harry and Helen Giles, younger brother Jim, his mother and father-in-law, Frank and Rosemary Armstrong. Del is survived by his loving wife Jean; daughter Heather (Curtis) Harbinson; sons Murry (Kerri) Giles and Jason (Sue) Giles; older sister Shirley (Bob) Pickering; sister-in-law Joan (George) Niznik; grandchildren, Jayme (Stephanie), Chad (Kourtney), Haley (James), Abby (Jeff), Colton, Caleb, Josie, Taylor, and Brandt; great grandchildren, Wade, Macy, and Jaida, and numerous nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 9th at 2:00 PM from the Brooks United Church. Rev. George Edmonds officiating. Interment at Brooks Cemetery.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to:
SMITH FUNERAL HOME LTD. AND CREMATORIUM
BROOKS, ALBERTA
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