Nina Karen Freifeld Giles, age 73, passed away on Monday, September 18th 2023 at East Georgia Regional Medical Center in Statesboro, GA. Nina was born on January 17th 1950 in Springfield, MA. She graduated from Easton Area High School (Easton, PA) in 1967. Nina received a full-ride art scholarship to the prestigious Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University in
Philadelphia and went on to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts from University of Iowa and Master of Fine Arts from East Carolina University. Coming from a family of artists, Nina thrived in her art career and was commissioned to paint several large murals and other public art in spaces like the Martin Luther King Center in Atlanta. She also enjoyed sending family and friends handmade cards and gifts throughout the year.
Nina was an excellent teacher, having served both the public and private school systems for over 30 years. Even in her retirement, she would tutor students of all ages in the visual art medium. She was an incredible painter, specializing in large canvas paintings, charcoal drawings, prints, and woodcuts.
In her spare time, she loved to volunteer in senior living communities, painting with residents and reading to them. She was a strong spiritual believer and would imbue tenets of kindness and charity into all the work she did. Nina was greatly loved and will be tremendously missed by her family and friends.
Nina is survived by her husband, Timothy David Giles, her daughter, Anna Beth Giles, her grandchildren, Margot Poppy Jones and Isabella Mia Jones, and her brother and sister, Martin Freifeld and Alison Cowan (and her dog, Lily). She was a loving mother, wife, and grandmother.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, September 22nd 2023 at 2:00pm in the chapel of Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home in Statesboro. The family will receive friends following the service. A livestream will be available at https://www.joineranderson.com/obituaries/Nina-Giles/#!/PhotosVideos
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Nina's honor to a charity of your choice, in alignment with her spirit of kindness and charity.
Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com
Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home & Crematory of Statesboro is in charge of arrangements.