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From custodian to 'the real world'
School caretaker says hello to retirement.Date published: 4/16/2007 For 15 years, Don Giles kept Fredericksburg Christian Schools' elementary classrooms safe, functional and gleaming. He took the word "custodian" to heart, considering himself to have custody of something that needed careful looking after. But for Giles, who retired this month at 65, the job was never just about a building. "It's really for the teachers and the kids," he said. A sparkling space, Giles said, sets the tone for learning, and for "a brighter outlook on life." That belief seems to reflect his own bright outlook. Giles, his wife, Judy, and sons Scott and Timothy moved to this area from Maryland 30 years ago because they preferred its slower pace and sense of community. He came to the school after working for years in the millwork industry. Before that, he was a calculator repairman back when calculators were creations of springs and ratchets that went "chunkachunkachunka," Giles recalled. Along the way, Giles pursued a natural talent for drawing. Though not formally trained, he worked as a caricaturist several summers for Kings Dominion in Doswell. Now, he shares his skills at after-prom parties, company picnics, bar mitzvahs and carnivals, including events held to benefit the Christian school. Giles also has a passion for modern-day wildlife and dinosaurs, an interest he has shared with the elementary students over the years. In annual classroom presentations, Giles grabs students' attention with a giant inflatable prehistoric raptor and toy representations of dinosaurs, then transitions into a discussion of "living fossils," prehistoric creatures whose descendants can still be found in the natural world. Among his favorites are tadpole shrimp, which he raises from larvae in a tank to show the children. His latest one lived 39 days. He keeps a video clip of it on his cell phone to show anyone who might be curious. Giles said his love for dinosaurs and modern birds and beasts stems from his strong Christian faith and his belief that God created each part of the natural word for a purpose. "We live in rooms and buildings, and we don't see much of it," he said. "But you go outside, and you start seeing the real world, and you realize we are narrow in what we're aware of." In retirement, Giles may have more time to appreciate the outdoors--or maybe not. His immediate plans are centered on home, where remodeling projects await. He has grandchildren to keep him busy, too--Anthony Rowe, 15; Erika Giles, 10; Kristalee Giles, 21/2; and baby Jessica Giles. But he'll still have a connection with Fredericksburg Christian Schools. The elementary campus shares a building with New Life in Christ Church, for which Giles will continue to do custodial work. And he has volunteered to keep helping with daily traffic control as parents pick up and drop off their children. It would be too hard to leave altogether, he said. "This is some of the most important work I've ever done." Laura Moyer: 540/374-5417Email: lmoyer@freelancestar.com
Date published: 4/16/2007
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