Gladys Lyles

Gladys "Pete" Ward Lyles, 93, died Tuesday, June 16, 2009, in New York City following a brief illness. Born August 16, 1915, in Foochow, China, she was the daughter of the late Ralph Ansel and Mildred Worley Ward. A graduate of the University of Michigan, she later received a MAT degree from Converse College. She lived in Spartanburg for over fifty years and was a homemaker, teacher, and active in the community. She taught in the Pacolet schools, at Carver High School, and at Spartanburg High School. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Latin America and later developed and taught classes based on that experience. During her years in Spartanburg she was an active member of Central United Methodist Church and a dedicated volunteer with a number of community organizations, including the Spartanburg Democratic Party, the American Red Cross, and the library at Cleveland Elementary School. Pete was a marvelous cook and gardener, and, most of all, a curious and courageous thinker. She is survived by three sons, Dr. Kenneth Ward Lyles and Sandra of Durham, NC, David Starrett Lyles and Anne Calby of Arlington, VA, Stephen Crews Lyles and Leonard Kamsler of New York City; her grandchildren, Ward Lyles (Meg), Christopher Lyles (Lindsay), Katherine Lyles Levy (Aaron), and Margaret Lyles Deemer (Jay); and four great-grandchildren. The family will receive friends from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Saturday, June 27, 2009, at Floyd's Greenlawn Chapel. Graveside services will follow at 4:30 p.m. at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens conducted by the Rev. John W. Ropp. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Doctors Without Borders, 333 Seventh Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001-5004; or to the American Heart Association, Memorials and Tributes Processing Center, P. O. Box 5216, Glen Allen, VA 23058-5216. Floyd's Greenlawn Chapel To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Gladys Ward Lyles please visit our Sympathy Store.