A Devoted Daughter. Supportive Sister. Faithful Friend. Sunny Smile.

On the peaceful evening of March 16, 2026, the world lost a light it will not soon replace. Bonnie Michelle Giles—beloved sister, cherished aunt, devoted godmother, and loyal friend— slipped quietly from this life, leaving behind a legacy written not in accolades or titles, but in the hearts of every person fortunate enough to know her.

Born on May 2, 1959, in Petersburg, Virginia, Bonnie came into this world with a vibrant, generous, and joyous spirit. And for sixty-seven years, she lived a life that embodied that joy, light, and laughter. If you knew Bonnie, you knew the smile. You might even be smiling right now thinking about it. It was so big, so bright, so utterly full of life that she almost had to close her eyes to make room for its full glory. It was the first thing you noticed and the last thing you forgot. It could warm a room before she ever said a word. It could lift you on your worst day.

It was, in many ways, the truest expression of who Bonnie was. She was a woman whose joy was real, warmth was effortless, and love was overflowing. Bonnie did not have children of her own, but to say that is to tell only the smallest part of the story. The fuller truth is that Bonnie poured the whole of her heart into the many nieces, nephews, and godchildren who filled her life. And they will tell you, without hesitation, that what they had in her was something extraordinary. In Bonnie, you did not simply have an "auntie." You had a friend who showed up. A cheerleader who celebrated your victories as if they were her own.  A mentor who guided you with wisdom. An advisor who told you what you needed to hear. A confidante who held your secrets sacred. And yes, a wake-up call when you needed one that was delivered with love and just enough fire to set you straight. With every accomplishment, every milestone, every new chapter, Bonnie was there, beaming, as though the sun itself had taken notes from her on how to shine.

She held an especially close bond with her sister, Wilma Smith. Theirs was a relationship built on mutual support, encouragement, and the kind of deep, abiding love that only close sisters truly understand. Bonnie was also instrumental in helping to raise her nephew Michael, Wilma's son, pouring into him unparalleled devotion, nurturance, and care. Later, she embraced Michael's wife, Brenda, and son, Ellison, with the same abiding love, open arms, and warm heart.

Bonnie spent many dedicated years working at Philip Morris before earning a well-deserved retirement. But it was outside the walls of work where Bonnie truly came alive. She loved music and dancing. She was a sharp dresser with an impeccable sense of style. She loved watching football and basketball. But perhaps her favorite place in the world was wherever her people were gathered—around a card table, in a living room, at a family cookout—anywhere there was laughter to be shared and love to go around. Bonnie lived for those moments. She lived for the sound of her family's laughter, the easy joy of being together, the simple and sacred act of showing up for the people she loved.

Bonnie was preceded in passing by her maternal grandparents, Bertie and Felt Draughn; her paternal grandparents, Theodore and Evelyn Giles; her mother, Ruby D. Lawson, and stepfather, Tom Lawson; her father, Theodore Giles, and stepmother, Cora Giles; and her brother, Lathius Giles.

To carry on her memory and her legacy, she leaves behind her sister, Wilma Smith, and her brother, Broderick Giles, along with a large and loving family of nieces, nephews, and godchildren including: Michael Smith and his wife Brenda Mejia-Smith and their son Ellison Smith; Shannon Smith; Tamika Wade; Jamyra Wade; Lathius Bradley; Brittney Carmon; Quentin Jordan-Giles; Laerek Giles; Deangelo Wheeler; Lai'Coriaun Giles; Broderick Rico Giles; Raysean Grandison; Briana Giles; Rashena Browder; and Shadel Browder. Her life was enriched by her relationship with a host of other family members and dear friends including Chandra Mitchell, Patricia Bates, Terry York, Kip Richardson, Darryl Gregory, James "Booky" Battle, Renee Hawkins, Brenda Webb, Edward Grim, Brien Smith and many, many more.

In John 14: 1-3, the scripture tells us,"Do not let your hearts be troubled. My Father's house has many rooms...I am going there to prepare a place for you." There is a room somewhere in Heaven now that is brighter than it was before March 16th. There is laughter echoing in a place we cannot yet see. And there is that special smile. Big and bright and so full of glory that even Heaven had to make a little extra room for it.

She is loved…she is missed…and we will see her again.

Services will be held 11:00 A.M., Friday, March 27, 2026, at First Baptist Church, 236 Harrison Street, Petersburg, VA, the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Tillman, Pastor and Rev. Kim White, eulogist.  The interment to follow at Dinwiddie Memorial Park.

At the request of Ms. Giles there will be no public viewing.

J. M. Wilkerson Funeral Establishment, Inc., 102 South Avenue, Petersburg, VA, (804) 732-8911, www.jmwilkersonsince1874.com. Watch the funeral services live online on our J. M. Wilkerson Funeral Establishment, Inc. Facebook page or click here to view: https://vimeo.com/event/5827792?fl=so&fe=fs