Our sympathy is extended to the family of JC Stiles
Funeral services for JC Stiles, a Coalgate resident, will be held Wednesday (today), December 4, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. at Brown’s Funeral Chapel in Coalgate with Bro. Eddie Hogue officiating, assisted by Bill Thomas. Burial will be in Woodman Cemetery with arrangements under the direction of Brown’s Funeral Service of Coalgate. Dinner will be served at Cottonwood Baptist Church prior to the funeral.
Casketbearers will be Jared Stiles, Christopher Stiles, Chase Ellis, Shawn Lewis, Mark Lacaze, and Grant Stiles. Serving as honorary bearers will be Bill Thomas, Dennis James, Chuck Loudermilk, Joe Young, Gary Wilson, Zachary Lewis, Joshua Lewis, Johnny Ward, Bob Cody, Ricky Morgan, Danny Loudermilk, and Jimmy Naylor.
Condolences may be sent to the family by email to: brownsfscoalgate@sbcglobal.net. Please reference the name of the deceased in your correspondence.
Born on 25th August 1945 in Farris Oklahoma, JC became the sixth of eight children. JC’s initials represented the first initials of his parents, Juanita and Claborn Stiles. JC spent the majority of his youth within the Roundhill community. As a child, he enjoyed what most country boys did, including climbing trees, running barefoot, hunting raccoons, and fishing. JC shared all these activities with his brothers David and Billy. When he was not enjoying all these activities, he was hard at work helping his mother and father with chores.
JC attended all his school days in Coalgate, beginning at Grant elementary until Emerson elementary was established. He then went on to attend Coalgate High School where he participated in multiple sports including football, track, and limited basketball. JC gathered many of his lifelong friendships on the field and on the track. After graduating in 1963, JC enrolled into East Central State, now East Central University where he became a member of the Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity and majored in Industrial Arts.
By 1966, after completing only three years, JC decided to forgo his senior year and enlist in the United States Marine Corps. JC’s decision to enlist was driven by his selflessness to serve his country. JC would complete both boot camp and school of infantry in Southern California before deploying to Vietnam in February of 1967. JC spend the majority of his deployment in Northern Vietnam near the DMZ, to include his home base of Khe Sanh. JC would eventually be awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in action. JC’s three brothers would all serve in the military during both Korean and Vietnam conflicts and within both the Army and Marines. JC and his brothers cumulative military service is recognized by the local “Stiles Brothers” memorial bridge; appropriately located on the way to Roundhill.
After his service in Vietnam and subsequent honorable discharge in September 1968, JC would eventually pursue construction as a career. JC would spend the next 50+ years perfectinghiscraftasamastercarpenter. A majority of his career consisted of working for James Construction out of Dallas constructing multi-unit apartments and family homes throughout the United States. Throughout his career he had the great opportunity to observe new construction designs evolve, however JC ensured that his old school method of excellence in all you do never faltered. JC’s greatest complement was to tell a helper “You’re as useful, as a pocket on a shirt” and if you knew how much he used his shirt pocket you knew you were doing a good job.
The hard ship of moving often from job site to job site, moving from east coast to west coast, north and south did have some benefits. JC was able to enjoy the many sites and scenes across America. This included 38 states and some unscripted trips into Mexico in the 70’s. JC also became a world traveler as his wife utilized her flight benefits to whisk on vacation in Ireland, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Hawaii. JC’s favorite trips included looking for various wild animals, always wanting to see a moose but they were always hiding. JC’s greatest find was viewing a grizzly sow and her cubs in Glacier National Park.
Wether he flew first class or drank champagne from a fluted glass, he was always a country boy at heart.
He is survived by his wife, Sandra Smith Stiles of the home in Coalgate; children, Jared William Stiles and wife Erin of Mansfield, TX, Christopher Lloyd Stiles and wife Sheri and Melanie Lynn Stiles, all of Grapevine, TX; grandchildren, Reagann of Justin, TX, Ryleigh and Randee Stiles of Grapevine, TX, Grant, Savannah and Mason Stiles of Mansfield, TX and Sara Stiles of Fort Worth, TX; sister, Linda Sue Wilson and husband Gary of Coalgate; sisters-in-law, Carol Sue Stiles and Brenda Smith, both of Coalgate; brother-in-law, Doug Ward of Coalgate; mother-in-law, Patricia Smith of Coalgate; along with numerous nieces, nephews and many dearly loved friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Claborn LeMarcus and Evia Juanita (Franklin) Stiles; brothers, Paul Stiles, David Stiles and Billy Stiles; sisters, Betty Ward and Barbara Layton; father-in-law, W. H. Smith; brother-in-law Dub Smith; nephews, Bobby Layton and Marlin Stiles; nieces, Beverly Layton, Carolyn Spivey, Deeana Cathey and Judy Roberts; aand great-nephew, Clayton Russell.