On December 31st, 1937, in thebeautiful settlement of Palmetto Point Eleuthera, George Washington Deal andMarion Deal welcome a son whom they named Gilles.
He attended the All-age school inthe settlement, and as his father was an avid farmer, he was expected to helpon the farm at an early age. As a young boy he, along with his best friend Hon.Philip Bethel built a bicycle frame from wood and added the tires and pedals.This was his first real encounter with carpentry. At the age of 14, Gillesdecided to leave Eleuthera and move to Nassau to pursue another vocation otherthan farming. He moved in with his older sister Lily and would go out lookingfor a job each day until he found one at a furniture building shop where helearned joinery and how to make precision cuts to fit furniture jointsseamlessly. Due to the dust in the furniture manufacturing shop, he got sickand had to go to the hospital for a few days.
After this episode he got a job with Brennenwhere he learned building construction. He later left Brennen and began workingwith his older brother Willis, a fully skilled Carpenter and builder. Afterhoning his building skills with his older brother, he got a job with Mr.Kennage where he became a Foreman. A disagreement between Mr. Kennage and thehomeowner resulted in him having to complete the job as a contractor ratherthan a foreman for the first time. He later decided to venture out on his own as a contractor, working primarily on projects in Lyford Cay, and afterwards all throughoutNassau.
Gilles moved in with his uncleCurl after his sister Lily migrated to the US. This is where he met ThelmaSmith who he later married. This union produced three children: Kenneth(deceased), Cindy, and Gilles Jr. In the 60s, now that his career was underway, he found time to indulge in his second passion, drag racing. He would raceat the old Oakes-field airport where he met his lifelong friend Sam Carey, themechanic. His race car, originally named the Lime Squeezer, and later renamedthe Blue Max, was one of the first racing cars in Nassau that carried aparachute for braking.
In the late 70’s, Gilles metRegistered Nurse, Debra Barry, and later married her. This union produced twochildren Tara Genae and Miguel. He continued his contracting work, and workingon buildings like the Lyford Cay School, and enjoying his passion of travelingand fishing into his later years.
In the latter months of 2022, hishealth had begun to fail, and on the 27th of December he was admitted to the PrincessMargaret hospital where he later succumbed to his illness three days after his85th birthday.
Predeceased by two sons Kennethand Aurelio.
Left to cherish his memories are,his wife: Debra Deal; children: Cindy Black (Renard), GillesJr.(Autherine), Keith Hinton (Matilda), Tara, Miguel, Thorn; grandchildren: Cordero, Gilles III,DeJuan, Relio, GerQuincy, Uriah, Danielle, Krizia, Dr. Gabriell Deal Swann(Rashid), Sameera; great grandchildren: Jasiah, Mila, Lashae; brothers: Garfield Deal (Debra), Lincoln Deal (Cheryl); sisters: Ivy Drakeley (Kenneth) ofFlorida, Frances Roberts; brothers-in-law: Hugo Barry, Robert Barry (Lynette), EardleyBarry (Natasha); sisters-in-law:Judy Watkins, Jeanie Ash (Craig); nephews:Vernon, Fred, Arthur, Edmund, Rev. Lincoln Deal, George, Lynden, Bryan,Georgie, Rohan and Rosanno Deal, Paul Bethel, George Fax of Houston, ShariffRoberts, Jamie Cooper, Luciano Deal, Mario Stuart, Yuri Watkins, Robert BarryJr, Omar, Raymon and Evashio Barry; nieces:Rosie Millison of New York, Joan Chung of New York, Paula Leone, GertrudeWright, Gloria Cox, Anna Bough of Jacksonville, Sherry Fax, Barbara Darville,Jackie Russell, Sandy Bootle, Therese Smith, Kim Emmit, Dr. Tracy Halkitas,Anastasia and Tia Watkins, Rhyna, Claynell, Ashea, Ashawn, Thalia, and TatiannaBarry, Adonia, and Eden Ash, Vashanique Wallace; other relatives and friends: Thelma Deal, Samuel and Genesis Carey,Jacqueline Deal, Charles Smith, Ann Maria and Roy Wharton, Lucethy Smith,Barbara Robins, Edward and Donna Smith, Giovanna and Gianna Smith, Carlos,Stephen, Marvin Williams, Kathy Moss, Ken Robbins, Donovan and July Smith, Sam,Pamela, Raquel, Keisha, Nakia, Etienne Dupuch II, Etienne Dupuch IV, NeileyCartwright and family, Fletcher and Berniza Cooper, Farrington Family, Barr,David and Trudy Strachan, Ben Deal, John Knowles, Phillip Durham, Majors family,Sandra Carey and Family, Archie, Andrew, Kelly, Kenny, Patrick Knowles, TheBevans Family, The Williamson family, The Black Family, J. Anthony McKinney,Richard Wells Family, Dr. Cleland Gooding Family, Trotman Family, Wayne,Sheldon, Solomon, Terrence and Lowell Gibson and their Families, Hon. VaughnMiller, The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Jason, and Collene Johnson,Wilkinson Family, March Family, Thompson Family, Hugh Chase, Michael Collie,Oral Hudson; godson: DwayneWilliamson.
