Obituary for Grace Lea Stiles
Grace Lea Stiles, one of seventeen children born on a farm in Luling, Texas, to the late Hermon Stiles and Iona Spears-Stiles, peacefully passed away, leaving behind a legacy of education, community service, and dedication to African American history.
Grace began her schooling in a two-room schoolhouse and graduated from Ball High School in Seguin, Texas, in 1953. Later, in 1968, after to moving to Denver, Colorado, she started assisting teachers at Smiley Junior High School while completing her degree. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Metropolitan State College in Denver, Colorado, in 1972. Throughout her career, she taught fourth, fifth, and sixth grades in Denver Public Schools and worked on programs for Pupil Assistance—counseling and assisting the principal.
In 1978, Grace earned a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration from the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley. She was an advocate for education, volunteering on numerous committees, including Affirmative Action, Black Educators United, and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association. She played a vital role in the court-ordered integration of Denver Public Schools and, in 1991, self-published a booklet on human relations: The Roadrunners, Discussion Program. She retired from Denver Public Schools in 1992.
In 1994, Grace founded African American History on Wheels, a traveling educational program that brought history to schools, businesses, churches, and social organizations. Her dream of preserving African American history led her to purchase two abandoned houses in Denver’s Five Points area in 1995. In 1998, she established the Stiles African American Heritage Center, Inc. located at 2607 Glenarm Place.
With her personal savings and the help of countless volunteers, she restored one of the dilapidated buildings into a modest but powerful historical space. The house, once a residence, became a center for learning, featuring classrooms, offices, and a gift shop. One bedroom was restored to its 1895 appearance, and the center now includes an inventors’ room, Egyptian artifacts, antique furnishings, and tributes to notable local figures such as Zepha Grant and Ruth Holly.
Grace continued her mission to educate both youth and adults about African American history. For years, the center provided guided tours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, hosted diversity workshops, and served as a gathering space for the community.
Grace’s dedication earned her numerous awards and recognition from The Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, The Urban Spectrum, Denver Weekly News, the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation (Centerline Office News), the American Association of University Women newsletter, and Walkin’ The Distance News. She was a life member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Urban League, as well as numerous other community and social organizations. She was a member of Epworth United Methodist Church.
Grace Stiles is preceded in death by her parents, Hermon and Iona Stiles; her beloved son, Kendree Kay Kindred; and thirteen of her siblings. She leaves to cherish her memory her daughters: Dorothy Wheeler, Kernyce-Karen Kindred, Karolette Greene, and Karmyn Kindred-Dukes; her three living siblings: Charles Stiles, Milton Stiles, and Shirley Harris; eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and lifelong friends.
Grace’s impact on education and African American history will continue to inspire and uplift generations to come. Her unwavering commitment to knowledge and preserving history will never be forgotten and can still be seen at the Stiles African American Heritage Center.
A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered. Her legacy of love, knowledge, and community service will continue to inspire generations to come. She will forever be in our hearts.
Grace Stiles will be laid to rest at Fairmont Cemetery.