Sharon Ruth Bleak Giles

Sharon Ruth Bleak Giles returned to her Heavenly Father peacefully at her home, surrounded by family on January 26, 2024, after seven years of battling cancer. Sharon was a loving and devoted spouse, a wonderful mother to eight children, a surrogate mother to countless others, a supportive sister and a beautiful daughter of God who served everyone in every way that she could.

Sharon was born on September 23, 1943, to Thomas Gerald and Ruth Catherine Bleak in Salt Lake City, Utah and was the oldest of three children. She was a proud alumnus of South High School where she sang in concert choir and was a member of the Service of South (SOS), Latin, and Swimming clubs.

She met the love of her life, Gerald (Jerry) Lynn Giles, when Jerry and his friend attended a sorority dance at the University of Utah. Jerry waited for Sharon while she served a mission to Toronto, Canada. Sharon still had the photo of Jerry that she carried with her throughout her mission. Sharon and Jerry were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 12, 1967. Later, both graduated from the University of Utah where Sharon studied mathematics and music, and they walked at commencement together hand in hand. She taught math at Wasatch Junior High for a short time and then, as their family grew, she worked as an Adjunct Math Teacher at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) for many years. She received the SLCC Distinguished Educator Award and her photo was posted in the Technology Building. She thoroughly enjoyed teaching and was so passionate about math that whomever she taught or tutored felt they could conquer everything from fractions to algebra.

Sharon was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She loved the Lord and was an exceptional example of strength, faith, and enduring to the end. She served in many callings where she made lifelong friends. She was talented in teaching, arranging music, leading choirs, running road shows, playing the piano, and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She and Jerry served a mission at the Johannesburg, South Africa Temple where she instantly loved every patron and worker at the Temple and worked to make their experience sacred and beautiful. She served as the President of the Fremont Camp of the Salt Lake South Company of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP) for several years and cherished the time she spent with the special women in that organization. 

Sharon loved spending time with her family, bonus kids, and friends, sitting on the sidelines and in audiences to cheer for her family, riding horses, watching many sports, attending Real Salt Lake games, reading, playing the piano, spending time at the cabin, and serving everyone around her. She never went to bed before all her children and grandchildren who lived with her were home and could be found reading and ready to spend late nights talking and laughing with you when you walked in the door. She is deeply missed and loved by all who knew her.

Sharon was preceded in death by her father, Thomas Gerald Bleak, her mother, Ruth Catherine Johnson Bleak, and her grandson, Aiden Brent Giles. She is survived by her siblings, Marlene (Douglas) Norris and Thomas Gerald Bleak, Jr.; her loving husband, Jerry; children: Kim (Tony) Lovato, David (Rebekah) Giles, Kristie Giles, Becky (John) Guertler, Michael (Carol) Giles, Andrew (Emily) Giles, Brent (Emily) Giles, and Amber Giles; 28 grandchildren; and 3 great-grandchildren.

A viewing will be held on Friday, February 2, 2024, 6:00-8:00 p.m., at the Taylorsville North Stake Center, 1250 Atherton Drive, Taylorsville, Utah 84123. There will also be a viewing held immediately before the funeral at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 3, 2024. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 a.m., at the Taylorsville North Stake Center, 1250 Atherton Drive, Taylorsville, Utah 84123. Interment will be at Memorial Redwood Cemetery, 6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah 84084.

Please join us via zoom if you can’t attend in person:

https://zoom.us/j/92115159829?pwd=cjJGVURsbGRmWWZYUitEbWlkbW5jQT09