Obituary of John Stephen Stiles, Sr.

John Stephen Stiles, Sr. — beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend — passed away on the morning of April 19, 2021 at Stony Brook Hospital. Following heroic bouts with cancer and other critical ailments in the past few years, his weakened immune system finally succumbed to complications from COVID that began in November 2020. He was a force at 71 years old — tough on the outside, persevering, enduring, ever-present, stalwart, and yet always deeply kind, protecting, funny, charming, gentle, and warm. He left this world fighting to hold on with all he had to every moment for all he loved and for those who loved him. And for that, we will forever cherish John. We ask for your kindness and prayers as we lay John to Rest in Peace as we celebrate him during our family services at M.A. Connell Funeral Home in Huntington Station, NY, on Friday, April 23, 2021, 10am-2pm. A mass will be held at St. Hugh of Lincoln Church in Huntington Station, NY, on Saturday, April 24, at 9:30am. His final resting place will be at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Huntington, NY. John was born in Brooklyn, NY, and started his family there of six uniquely different children with his lifelong love and bride, Christy. After working many years, John was able to then move his growing family out to the gentler pace of Long Island in 1981. He worked hard for 50 years under the grates of NYC for ConEdison, and he retired in 2017. In retirement, he stayed very busy, happy to indulge his family with great affection, boundless generosity, and frequent visits. He was sure to stay close to his group of close pals (long-time, lifelong buddies) on a weekly basis. His love of family and friends defines the man we’ll always remember. John was devotion personified, a hard-working testament to life lived to ensure those he loved would be safe and secure. He was a man of character, he defended the ‘little guy,’ and he fought to protect all those he loved. His passions included a love for music he passed to his children, as well as a deep affection for cars, motorcycles, anything in which he could tinker. John could fix anything, was known for that, always had a project, was always repairing something. Fondly known as ‘Big John,’ he was adored by all who knew him and even those who knew him only through the many wonderful stories about him. He was a man’s man — chivalrous, decent, and generous. And in that, John is survived by his loving wife, Christy M. Stiles, 68, of Huntington Station, NY; his eldest, John S. Stiles, Jr., 51, of Canton, GA; Jason K. Stiles, 47, of Mastic Beach, NY; Cassandra N. Stiles, 37, of Huntington Station, NY; Steven C. Stiles, 35, of Huntington Station, NY; and Candace L. Stiles-Feliciano, 33, of Reading, PA. Unfortunately, John survived his second child and eldest daughter, Christina Dyan Stiles, who perished in an automobile accident in 1995 when she was only 23 and who is always fondly remembered and loved. John is also survived by his ten grandchildren: Jake Stiles, 26; Johnny Stiles, 19; Max Stiles, 17; Cody Stiles, 16; Giovanni Feliciano, 14; Luke Stiles, 14; Graham Stiles, 12; Dylan Stiles, 8; Jillian Feliciano, 7; and Caylee Feliciano, 4. We are so very proud that John worked for several months at Ground Zero for ConEdison. It meant the world to him to serve our city and our nation suffering under that tragedy. Knowing heartbreak as only a father who lost a child can, John became more and more affected knowing directly the powerful contribution of these heroes and the loss suffered on 9/11 and thereafter by their families. So, in lieu of flowers for John, please consider making a donation in his name to the charity Tunnels to Towers Foundation (t2t.org), which supports first responders who defend our country every day. For this, we thank you with great fondness and pride.