Obituary of Leila Sue Fowlks
Piscataway – Leila Sue Fowlks, 75, passed away at home surrounded by the love of her family on Saturday morning, October 26, 2024.
Born in 1949 to Dorothy and Lawrence Snake, a WWII POW Hero in Midwest City, Oklahoma; Leila was a proud member of the Delaware Nation Tribe of Western Oklahoma. She attended the University of Oklahoma where she studied mathematics and met her husband of 53 years, Gary. They then relocated to New Jersey to begin their family together.
Initially residing in Edison, Leila worked as a nurse’s aide at Roosevelt Hospital before soon settling in Piscataway where they raised their daughter Jodi and son Jason. She then started a position at the Piscataway Post Office where she would remain a loyal employee for twenty-five years.
Leila enjoyed her family and spending time together, especially on annual vacations at the beach. They traveled to Wildwood, Virginia Beach, and the Outer Banks in a caravan of vehicles. Countless memories were made and enjoyed on those beaches from ordering ginger bread pizza to swimming in the pool with PJ and sitting around the table at night watching the sun set while playing games, laughing, and reminiscing about the summer’s day.
She was naturally a doting mother, never missing any of her children’s sporting events and wasn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and help Gary with the family’s yard work before then running in to quickly prepare a hot meal for dinner. She helped her children with various school and recreational activities making it all look so effortless. To her family she wasn’t just “mom,” she was a super hero, no task too large or job too small and was always happy to help her friends.
Leila was also a die-hard New York Yankees and Oklahoma Sooners fan and could be found in front of the tv on game day cheering on her favorite teams. Above all, Leila took great pride in helping raise her grandson, PJ and cherished all the time and special moments they were able to spend together whether it was a trip to the park, eating as much popcorn as possible at the movies, picking out their next OBX vacation home together, or letting him at a younger age play with all of the gadgets in her vehicle without fear and many laughs. She will be forever loved and sorely missed by family, friends, and the entire neighborhood- especially the kids who are now grown adults that used to walk that same street home after school and look forward to her friendly smile and wave.
Surviving are her husband, Gary Fowlks, their two children, daughter Jodi Costeira, her husband Paul, and beloved grandson PJ and son Jason Fowlks and his fiancé Cortney and two brothers, Larry Frank Snake and Greg Snake; and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation for friends & family will be held on Saturday, November 2, 2024 from 1PM – 4PM in the Piscataway Funeral Home, 18 Stelton Road, Piscataway NJ 08854 with funeral services to begin promptly at 3:30PM.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Leila's memory to the American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org/donate