Nathaniel Giles

ObituaryNathaniel Giles, the second son and fourth child of the late and Luvenia Brooks Giles, was born in Baltimore, Maryland on June 8, 1923. Predeceased by his wife Jacqueline May 8th of last year, Nathaniel was called home to eternity October 30, 2008. Nat, as he was affectionately known, attended Baltimore City Public Schools and graduated in 1941. At an early age he accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal savior. He attended the Douglas Memorial Community Church with his mother, late brother Gordon Giles and two sisters - the late Elois Brooks Parker and the late Theola Elizabeth Brooks Hall. Family unity was sustained by faith, and finding comfort in one another. Accordingly, extended families often lived together; and this was the case for Nat as he lived not only with his parents and siblings, but also with his cousins Morcell, Zelma, Catherine and their parents. Nat developed a discipline and love of electronics and would later fix transistor radios, phonographs and televisions for family members. The family lived on Madison Avenue – just three blocks from Druid Hill Park. On this street, Nathaniel grew up playing with the Marshall children. He related that Mrs. Marshall, drawn to the aroma of his mother’s fresh baked bread, would ask Nat to bring some of this goodness to her house when he visited them; and he did just that on many occasions. While growing up Nat played with the Marshall children and as a teenager he worked with Thurgood’s younger cousin in Glen Burnie. He would recount fond memories of working in a warehouse where he sharpened his keen sense of responsibility and work ethic.In keeping with this work ethic, Nathaniel enlisted in the United States Army directly after graduating from Douglas High School. During the Battle of the Bulge, Nat was assigned “T-5” Convoy Leader as a contingent to U. S. military detached services in Belgium. Additional military tours included: England, France, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. On each assignment, Nat demonstrated solid leadership and an ability to diffuse petty differences in order to fulfill military responsibilities. He understood that teamwork was vitally important for the completion of assigned military duties. These attributes would later serve him well in civilian life.Nathaniel’s civilian employment was with the Baltimore City Department of Public Works as a supervisor for the Ashburton Water Pumping Station. He would serve more than thirty years in this career which he took very seriously. He fully understood the importance of water purification - that it is vitally important to the health and sanitation of the community. Nat’s penchant for handiwork and his natural interpersonal skills proved to be of great value for troubleshooting the intricacies of equipment involved in water dissemination and filtration. He retired from this work at age 65.As a young adult, Nathaniel met Jacqueline Elizabeth Yates whom he called the love of his life. They were married in June of 1957 and remained soul mates throughout their marriage. He considered his marriage to Jackie his greatest accomplishment. With a marriage “made in heaven,” both of them shared a oneness of purpose, namely to love, honor, and respect one another. They were both blessed to enjoy many years of marriage and retirement together traveling to such places as Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the beautiful resorts of the southwestern United States. He leaves forever to mourn their loss: a devoted nephew, Raymond M. Parker; niece Joyce Parker Cox of Pasadena, California;cousins, Zelma Cheatham,Catherine Hines, Michael Cheatham, Marvin Cheatham, and Janice Cheatham and a host of family members and friends.

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Nathaniel Giles

June 8, 1923 - October 30, 2008