Alphonso “Al” Giles, 93, WWII Veteran and retired Broward County teacher, passed away peacefully with loved ones at his bedside on Friday, September 11, after a brief illness. Giles was born on May 2, 1922, in Pine Mount (near Live Oak), FL, to the late Willie and Anna Giles of Fort Lauderdale. Giles is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Ruth, also a retired teacher, and one daughter, Yvette M. Giles, Ed.D. He is also survived by a devoted brother Harry (Hattie) Giles, and a host of loving nephews, nieces, cousins and friends. A Fort Lauderdale pioneer, Giles will be missed by the many people whose lives he touched, including countless students in his science classes through the years at Dillard High School, Everglades Middle School, Lauderdale Lakes Middle School and Florida Memorial College (Upward Bound Program). Giles was a founding member of Fort Lauderdale’s graduate chapter of his dear fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha. An avid reader, Giles was considered a fount of knowledge and was affectionately referred to as a “walking encyclopedia.” He kept abreast of current events and enjoyed discussing politics, environmental issues, and his experiences as an Army water purification specialist during WWII. Giles was stationed on the island of Okinawa when the atomic bombs were released, devastating Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Giles also enjoyed inspiring young people to achieve success, especially those in his dear fraternity. While teaching, Giles set a standard for punctuality and attendance: he was never late during his 33 years of teaching, and he was only absent one day, the day his daughter was born. As the first African American member of Broward County’s Marine Advisory board and a Power Squadron member, Giles enjoyed boating, camping and fishing, and took great pride in navigating his yacht, “Sea Hunter,” to the Bahamas in 1970. Home Going service will be held on Saturday, October 3, at 1:00 pm at Mt. Hermon AME Church in Fort Lauderdale, with the Reverend Henry Green, Pastor, officiating. A wake, to be held at Mt. Hermon on Friday, October 2, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm, will feature a showing of the video, “Alphonso Giles: Story from an American Hero,” which explores Giles’ memorable experiences in historic Fort Lauderdale. Giles will be interred at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Fort Lauderdale. In lieu of sending flowers, please consider donating to the Alphonso Giles Memorial Scholarship Fund, created by the Zeta Alpha Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Donate online at http://www.zal-foundation.com. Or mail donations to Alphonso Giles Memorial Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 100996, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33310. Checks should be made payable to APA-ZAL Educational Foundation. For more information, email info@zetaalphalambda.org or call (954) 249-6403. A Roy Mizell and Kurtz Funeral Home service (954-467-3426).

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