Palestine High School Alumni Association

01 / 20 / 1918  –  01 / 11 / 1995

Services for Samuel “Sam” Liles, 76, of Emerald Bay, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Land of Memory Cemetery with Rev. Mark Skorheim and Dr. Tom Rousseau officiating.  Burial will be under the direction of Herrington Land of Memory.  Mr. Liles died Wednesday at his home.  He was born in Reese on January 20, 1918, to Samuel Isaac and Mary Agnes Stripling Liles.  He graduated from Palestine High School in 1935 and attended the University of Mississippi from 1936 to 1940.  He lettered in basketball and tennis at Palestine High School and played guard for the Ole Miss football team and third base on the Ole Miss baseball team.

He served in the Navy from 1941 to 1946 serving in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters.  After World War II, he was an executive for Lone Star Gas, retiring as vice president in 1969 after 23 years of service.  Mr. Liles also owned and operating Liles Farm Equipment Co. from 1970 to 1978.  He was a member of First Christian Church in Palestine and Emerald Bay Community Church.  He was an elder of the church and taught Sunday School.

He is survived by his wife, Virginia Liles of Emerald Bay; sons, Phillip David Liles of Edom, Bob Liles of Brownsboro and Chris Liles of Dallas; brothers, Pete Liles of Grants Pass, OR. and Ken Liles and David Liles of Emerald Bay; sisters, Beth Cely of Fairfield and Pat Ritchie of Emerald Bay; and four grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Bruce Liles, Eddie Liles, Jim Liles and Bennie Liles, Jr.

Memorials may be made to East Texas Hospice, First Christian Church in Palestine or Emerald Bay Community Church in Bullard.