Charlene Ann Giles was born in Great Bend, Kansas, on January 31, 1946. Just a few months before graduation, she caught the eye of Benjamin Giles in the halls of Larned High School when she walked by in her tight jeans. Shortly thereafter the two began dating and later married on December 19, 1965. Charlene served many roles while being married to Dad – wife, mom to three kids, truck driver during wheat harvest, assistant accountant at Dad’s office, partner in many oil well companies, co-owner and operator of a corn machine, co-owner of a used car lot, keeper of dad’s cars, clutter, and questionable investments, designer and manager of their home remodeling projects, playing Mrs. Claus, Dad’s personal chef, event coordinator for family vacations, Director at Nana Camp and biggest cheerleader for her kids and grandkids.

Between her various roles, she managed to fit in personal hobbies and activities. Mom was an awesome cook and loved big family dinners; however, she had the gift of gab and would get to talking and inevitably forget about the dinner rolls in the oven. Charlene had an amazing green thumb, as her planters by the pool were always beautifully maintained. Although there was always a home improvement project in progress, she prided herself in keeping a clean and tidy house and set a high standard for cleaning known by her kids and grandkids as “grandma clean.” Mom loved driving to KC or CO to see her kids and grandkids; all she needed was a Coke and some sunflower seeds to help her stay awake. She always looked forward to “Nana camp," when the younger grandkids would come stay with her and Dad in Towanda for two weeks of fun and lasting memories. They would swim all day and enjoy s’mores and cow bumping at night. The grandkids talk often about their time in Branson and Table Rock Lake where they would ride all the rides at Silver Dollar City and hang out at the lake. After life slowed down a bit, Mom enjoyed nightly walks around Towanda with friends, playing Bingo and Mexican Train, participating in the fun activities and chair yoga at Silvercrest, watching HGTV, and reading books, especially "Adult Romance" novels.

She and Dad were avid skiers and fostered a love for the sport in their kids and their kids’ friends by always making sure to take them to Colorado on a ski vacation, even when funds were tight. They kept up with their kids and grandkids on the ski slopes, with their impeccable form and perfect speed, even as the years went on. Eventually they branched out, buying a Harley, and riding to Sturgis with friends. They could also be seen multiple times during the year in St. Maarten, bringing along family, friends, and anyone they thought would be fun to vacation with, like their hairdresser. Charlene cherished these vacations, whether sipping a Bud Light or a Margarita at a beach in St. Maarten (clothing optional) or enjoying a spiked hot cocoa after a long day of skiing.

On September 21st, after a big KU win, Mom passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by friends and family, exactly the way she wanted. She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Della Pfenninger, and her husband, Benjamin M. Giles. She is survived by her children Richard Giles, Greg (April) Giles, and Angela (Adam) Crews; her grandchildren Gera (Sam) Poeschel, Addie Giles, Ella Giles, Nathan Giles, Gage (Erin Moore) Crews, and Taylor Crews.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, October 4th from 12:00-3:00 at the El Dorado Senior Center, 210 E. 2nd Avenue El Dorado, KS. In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters Serving Butler County.