Obituary of Barbara Stiles

Barbara Lois Stiles (born April 20, 1915) of Chapel Hill, NC died peacefully at home overnight on Tuesday June 15, 2016, after a brief illness. She was and will always be the beloved identical twin sister of Bernice Stiles Wade. The twins have shared a house on Gimghoul Rd. for nearly 40 years. Their spring garden, identified by "The Garden is Open" sign in their front yard, has become well known near and far over the last 25 years. The twin sisters grew up with two more sisters and a brother in Miami, Arizona, the children of Bessie Reed and Everett Stiles. They graduated from Arizona State Teacher's College (now Northern Arizona University) in 1937. They taught for several years in Arizona before following separate career paths. Barbara served with the Red Cross in Ghana and Egypt during WWII and in Heidelberg, Germany after the war. She then began her life career with Girl Scouting, first with the Girl Scouts of the USA and then with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), working in Japan, bridging between families of the American occupying forces and Japanese scout troops. Over the next 30 years, her work took her all over the world. Her last assignment was as Deputy Director of the World Bureau of WAGGGS in London. Upon her retirement in 1978, Barbara rejoined her twin sister Bernice in her home in Chapel Hill. Since then, Barbara and Bernice have spent their time enjoying family, creating their spectacular garden and travelling throughout the world. Barbara is survived by her twin sister Bernice Stiles Wade, two nieces/daughters Barbara Wade Warren (Ralph Warren) and Anne Wade, a great-niece/granddaughter Paige Warren (Lynn Adler), a great-nephew/grandson Brian Warren (Andrea Rorrer), and many other much beloved nieces, nephews, great-nieces/nephews, and great-great-nieces/nephews, as well as a very large extended family of friends. She will be much missed by all. A small, private service with immediate family will be held in the near future. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations can be made in Barbara's name to two organizations about which she was passionate: World Foundation for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, Inc., in the Interest of Our Cabana (P.O. Box 6457 Dept 276, Indianapolis, IN 46206, website: http://www.worldfoundationgggs.org/) and the North Carolina Botanical Garden's Battle Park Intern program (NC Botanical Garden, Campus Box 3375, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3375). Walker's Funeral Service of Chapel Hill is honored to be serving the Stiles family. Online condolences may be made at www.walkersfuneralservice.com.