Jill Giles

1944 - 2022

Jill Hawkins Giles

1944-2022

Cedar City, UT—Jill Hawkins Giles, 77, passed away unexpectedly in St. George, Utah on January 21, 2022 losing a battle to a respiratory illness. She was born March 29, 1944 in Oakland, California to Marjorie Paine and Grant Hill Hawkins. After growing up in Oakland, she attended Brigham Young University where she met the love of her life David Thomas Giles of San Francisco. They married in December, 1966 in the Oakland, California Temple.

Jill had a vibrant youth as the oldest of six children. She loved singing and in high school was a member of the hot little Twilight Trio that she formed with friends. The Twilight Trio was always in high demand to perform at California's Bay Area high school events. She also enjoyed singing Handel's Messiah almost every year. At BYU she sang with the a capella choir and spent a summer performing in the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palmyra, New York. She graduated in 1966 with a BA in Elementary Education and began teaching 1st grade at South Jordan Elementary and then at Draper Elementary near Salt Lake.

She moved with David to the East Millcreek area of Salt Lake City in 1968 with their first child, Christie, born Christmas Day, 1967. Jill taught one year at Cottonwood Heights Elementary, and then took a few years away from teaching to raise a family. After Christie came John Paul, Angela, Joseph, and in 1974, Jarom. In 1981 she returned to teaching near her home at Upland Terrace Elementary. One of her students later wrote of her, "She mastered the art of teaching." Over 25 years she taught hundreds of neighborhood children in grades K-4. Her students loved it when she would bring out her guitar and sing with them. Through the years she also became a favorite chaperone to groups of those same students on their annual week-long summer retreats to Mill Hollow, Utah. Near the end of her career, in 2003, Jill spent 2 years teaching in Ghana, Africa at an international school populated with students from 50 nations.

Many arts and crafts allowed her opportunities to lift and serve others. She enjoyed quilting, cross stitch, knitting, crocheting, needlepoint, sewing, woodcarving, tole painting, ceramics, and pottery. She supported the family in all kinds of adventures including soccer tournaments, bicycle treks, waterski outings, beach trips, and sailing adventures. A favorite place was Lake Powell, but other travels took her to Mexico, Canada, Israel, Egypt, Africa, Europe, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

In retirement with her husband David, Jill left in 2009 to serve a full-time mission in the Toulouse France Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They served in a small branch of the Church located in Gap, France. She encouraged each of her children to love the Lord, stay close to the Spirit, get an education, marry in the temple, and keep their covenants. She hopes her 16 grandchildren and great-granddaughter will do the same.

Jill is survived by her husband David Thomas Giles, her sister Bonnie (Chuck) Peppler, her brothers Kent Hawkins (Connie Evans), and Randy Hawkins (Donna Carmack). She is also survived by her children Christie (Curtis) Hill, John Paul Giles (Lisa Lloyd), Angela (Chad) Fletcher, Joseph Giles (Suzanne Falck), and Jarom Giles (Isabelle Desous).

Jill is preceded in death by her parents Grant Hill Hawkins and Marjorie Paine and two siblings Laurie (Jay) Henselen and David Hawkins (Carol Bradt).

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 29, 2022 at 11:00 am at the Cross Hollow Stake Center, 2830 W. Cody Dr., Cedar City, UT. A viewing will be held on Friday, January 28, 2022 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Southern Utah Mortuary, 190 N. 300 W., Cedar City, UT. On Saturday, January 29, 2022 the viewing will be at the Stake Center from 9:30-10:30 am. Interment will be in the Cedar City Cemetery under the direction of Southern Utah Mortuary. Online condolences can be made at mortuary.org.

To view live stream of services go to https://my.gather.app/remember/jill-giles