Wanda Jean Hancock Giles

Wanda Jean Hancock Giles, 82, passed away on February 15. Wanda was born June 22, 1940, in Indianapolis, Indiana to Knofel Pierce Hancock and Georgia Mae Land Hancock, and was raised in Paoli, Indiana, partially by her grandparents while her father served in the Navy. Raised as a Quaker, she graduated from Paoli High School in 1958 as valedictorian, received her BA in English from Indiana University in 1962, and her MA in English from Northwestern University. After doctoral study in English at Stanford University, in 1967 Wanda went on to teach English at North Texas State University, where she met and married James (Jim) Giles at his mother's house in Bowie, Texas on September 1, 1968.

Wanda and Jim moved to DeKalb in 1970 to teach English at Northern Illinois University, where Jim was professor of English until his retirement in 2009. Wanda initially taught Freshman English, but later worked at NIU in Continuing and Professional Education, and as an editor at the NIU Press. She was also very proud of her service as Crisis-Line Coordinator at DeKalb's Ben Gordon Center.

But first and foremost, and to all who knew her, Wanda was a prolific academic writer and editor, with countless publications including coediting six editions of the Dictionary of Literary Biographies with her husband Jim Giles, and literary essays about the Great Lakes, Harper Lee, and growing up in Indiana. Her favorite authors were Willa Cather, Julie Glass, Agatha Christie, Carol Shields, and P.D. James. She loved reading travel books, literary novels (primarily contemporary works by female authors), and mystery novels. Wanda also delighted in attending literary events featuring her favorite authors, including Julia Glass and many others.

A great fan of classical, folk, and country music, as well as theatre, Wanda enjoyed concerts by Pete Seeger, Lena Horne, Arlo Guthrie, Peter, Paul, and Mary, The Eagles, and attended plays at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, where she was a regular subscriber. An animal lover, she firmly believed in adopting pets from local shelters rather than buying them from breeders, and the family included many canine and feline members over the years. In later life, Wanda loved watching birds, especially cardinals, who were attracted to the feeders on her back deck.

Wanda's family and friends remember her as larger than life in the care and precision she put into her words and observations, her passion for creative, artistic, and literary arts, and her strong commitment to connecting with others, both online and while holding court with Jim at the Hillside Restaurant. She will be deeply missed.

Wanda was preceded in death by her parents, Knofel Pierce Hancock and Georgia Mae Land Hancock. She is survived by her husband James Giles, her daughter Morgan Kathleen Giles-Hadley, and her son-in-law Jon Hadley. The family wishes to thank Visiting Angels for their care and compassion in the final days and hours. In lieu of flowers, Wanda's family requests that donations be made to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health or the Northwestern Medical Kishwaukee Hospital Cancer Center here in DeKalb. A celebration of Wanda's life will be scheduled for a later date. Cremation arrangements were entrusted to Finch Funeral Home 310 Oak St. DeKalb, IL, 60115 (815) 758-3841.