Jeffrey Giles

Jeffrey Alan Giles passed away peacefully on July 9, 2023, at his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Born October 24^th, 1965, in Charlottesville, Virginia, to Cora Geneva Giles Wilcher, Jeffrey lived his rambunctious young life in Washington, DC with his five siblings Ventris, Wallace, Stephen, Milton and David and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

Jeffrey accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior at a very early age when the family were members of Edgewood Baptist Church. He loved the Lord, talked about him all of the time, and never-ever doubted God’s love for him.  Throughout his life, church was always a significant part of his walk with Christ.  The majority of his life, he was a member of the family’s church – Atlantic Street Baptist in Washington, DC.  He served as an usher and sang on the choir.  God blessed Jeffrey with a dynamic baritone singing voice and the gift of playing the drums.  

While attending Frank W. Ballou Senior High School, Jeffrey played drums in the marching band and participated in parades in the city. Following his high school years, Jeffrey attended Job Corps in Amherst County, Virginia, where he successfully completed the plumbers’ apprenticeship program.  Later, he became a Plumbers Assistant.  Not long after his employment, he successfully obtained his GED and began working in maintenance and janitorial services. He continued on this path for most of his life where he primarily worked for different McDonalds restaurants for slightly over 20 years. Anyone who knew Jeffrey can attest to the fact that he had a 20 year collection of McDonald toys. Eventually, Jeffrey started his own handyman business called Gifted Hands.  His logo was “No job too big or too small, we do it all.”

Jeffrey coined the phrase “Names” for himself and everyone referred to him as such.  He loved music from the go-go genre and always wanted to be a rap artist.  He also wrote a number of songs and loved all things Kung Fu and karate.  There were three things Jeffrey did very well:  he could clean, make you laugh, and could eat.  There were three things that would make you shake your head: he could eat, accidentally break lawn equipment, and routinely move between Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and DC.  We can say, he was always on the move.  He was also an exercise buff – doing upwards of 200 pushups every day. 

He will best be remembered for the heart he shared with each of us. He truly loved us all - and if you knew him, you knew it.  We will miss him so very much.  Jeffrey is survived by a sister, Ventris Gibson and four brothers; Wallace Giles (significant other Janice), Stephen Giles (wife Linda), Milton Wilcher, Edward David Wilcher (wife Dynita), two Aunts – Shirley Vailes and Alease Pannell, 17 nieces and nephews, 10 grand nieces and nephews, a host of cousins and friends with special recognition -- Donna Clyburn (Poochie).