ATHENS, Texas — Funeral services have been announced for Athens ISD superintendent Blake Stiles.
Visitation will be held Saturday, May 16, from 8 a.m - 5 p.m. at Autry's Carroll-Lehr Funeral Home, located at 1910 East Tyler Street in Athens. A second visitation is scheduled for Sunday, May 17, from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., also at the funeral home. On Monday, at 2 p.m., a graveside service will take place at Miners Cemetery in McCurtain, Oklahoma.
Athens ISD announced Stiles' passing via Facebook on Wednesday:
"It is with deep sadness that we must share the news of a devastating loss. Our superintendent, Blake Stiles, passed away this morning, May 13, 2020, at the UT Health hospital in Athens.
Mr. Stiles began a school board-approved medical leave beginning April 6 in anticipation of a heart procedure he recently underwent. He had anticipated a return to work in the next few weeks. The likely cause of death is heart-related.
We do know the loss to his family, especially, is enormous. He was, before anything else, a very proud husband and father. We ask at this time that Mrs. Stiles and their two children be given privacy as they navigate a fresh and awful grief. Please do lift them up in your prayers.
In his letter to all employees in April announcing his medical leave, Mr. Stiles shared his pride in the members of the AISD family. “You all are doing remarkable work during circumstances that are largely out of our control and constantly evolving,” he wrote. “This is hard. It’s hard for you, for our students and for their parents. I want you to know you are seen and appreciated. What you do is important. What you do matters.”
Blake Stiles was a good man, and under his leadership, AISD flourished. His loss is a loss to the community."
Stiles came to Athens in 2011, after being recruited to fill the position of assistant superintendent/human resources director. Prior to that he spent eight years at Howe High School, where he served two years as assistant principal and another six as principal. Stiles spent several years as a teacher and coach, in districts ranging from 2A to 5A, before moving into administrative work.
In 2012, the AISD Board of Trustees selected Stiles to be the district's superintendent.