Weekend of celebration marks Stiles' 100th birthday

FALLBROOK – Kathleen Shelton Stiles celebrated her 100th birthday on June 23, 2018 with a luncheon at the Garden Center Café. She was surrounded by family and close friends.

Five great- and five and a third great-great-grandchildren joined her two daughters and two granddaughters and their husbands. Nieces and a nephew came from Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and Washington.

Rev. Dennis Ginoza and Rev. Melissa Rusler blessed the gathering. On Sunday, June 24, the celebration continued with a reception after the service at the Fallbrook United Methodist Church.

Stiles came to Fallbrook in 1953 with her husband, Paul. They met while he was a Navy pilot stationed at Corpus Christi, Texas during WWII. She graduated from Southwest Texas State Teachers College, where she was a nationally recognized debater. She then taught elementary school in Texas.

In California, she taught in, and was principal of, the four-room schoolhouse in Temecula. In 1962, she moved to Elsinore High school to teach her academic specialties: speech, reading lab and English.

As the high school speech coach, her award winning forensic teams traveled throughout California. She retired as head of the English Department in 1977.

In retirement, she enjoyed traveling, flower gardening, working with her husband in the Fallbrook Vintage Car Club, participating in the Retired Teachers Association and many activities with the Methodist Church.