Kermit M. Giles Jr.

Kermit M. Giles, Jr. age 79, of Franklin County, Virginia, son of Kermit and Harvrey Giles, deceased, went to be with Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior, February 24, 2022. Surviving are his wife, Sue H. Giles, the love of his life for 49.8 years, loved and adored daughter, Natalie Renee' and generous and faithful son-in-law, Keith Turner; precious and dearly loved grand-children, Lily Reese and Nicholas Ryan Turner (girlfriend Ilene); and, the shared love of our children and grand-children, grandparents Sammy and Ellen Turner. Also, close lifelong friends, Danny and Judy Rexrode, Rich and Cheryl Holcomb, Jeff and Fran Crumbaker, Dave and Rachel Fritsch, Roger and Susan Vandaele, lifelong colleagues of the Eastern Kentucky University Persian Rifles and the many close church friends.
Born in Harlan, Kentucky, Kermit moved to Virginia his sophomore year, graduating from William Fleming High School. He was accepted to Eastern Kentucky University, enrolling in the Army ROTC program his freshman year, and was a veteran, serving in active duty in Stuttgart, Germany. Pledging his freshman year as a member of the Pershing Rifles, National Honorary Military Society at Eastern Kentucky, he received distinguished honors as an expert marksman. For decades, he traveled with his wife to Richmond, Kentucky attending bi-annual PR reunions with college buddies, while reminiscing old time memories and the renewal of friendships with good food, old military stories and lots of laughs. His sophomore year, he transferred closer home to finish his education in accounting at East Tennessee State University and was an accountant for Winn Dixie, Roanoke Iron and Bridge and A & P, before opening his auto sales business. During their marriage, he and his wife traveled extensively on the East Coast, New York and Canada, annually accompanying her student choirs in competitions and university professor training clinics. Transferring his church membership from Evarts, Kentucky Baptist Church to Poages Mill Church of the Brethren, Kermit loved to sing, sharing treasured connections with church friends, as well as garnering great camaraderie and fellowship with choir members of Poages Mill Church of the brethren, Woodlawn and Huntington Court United Methodist Churches, where his wife served as choral director and organist. Elvis Presley was his favorite artist and Love Me Tender and Can't Help Falling in Love with You his favorite songs. Hymns of Gospel country music were his go to genre, absorbed in listening to old-time hymns.
His wife will deeply grieve his passing and treasure the profound true love they shared, remembering these words from a song by Smokie Robinson intitled:
Really Gonna Miss You
It's really gonna be different without you,
Time is gonna be hard and slow for the rest of my life.
Time came when you had to go,
I'll miss you my love, I'll miss you my best friend,
I promise my love for you will never end.
In your finest hour, I was there with you, and without you,
Things won't be the same. But there's a higher power that
We answer to and you heard Him calling your name.
Everything about you, your smiling face,
I know you want us all to be strong.
I know you're gone to that magic place
Singing a brand-new song.
I'll miss you my baby, I'll miss you my love,
I promise my love for you will never end. '
I'll miss you my love, I'll miss you my best friend,
I promise my love for you will never end.
Really gonna miss You!!
Our loving and heartfelt gratitude to Poages Mill Church of the Brethren pastor, Todd Reed and family. We wish to thank you for coming to RMH in our time of great need. Your words and expression of a witnessed miracle will continue to heal my broken heart.
A private service with immediate family will be at the Conner – Bowman Funeral Home and Crematory, Rocky Mount, VA. Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. In time, and God willing, Sue anticipates a celebration of Kermit's life with close friends, after this pandemic has significantly settled. Godspeed my "honey"!!