Gary Gene Bates was born October 4, 1946, to Virgil and Mary E. (Thompson) Bates in Licking, MO. He was born with a heart defect and the doctors said he wouldn’t make it through childhood. He was made of stronger stuff than that. He grew up on his parent’s farm, number 10 of 11 children.
He moved to Chicago when he was around 18 years old, and lived there for many years, working in various fields. He was a machinist; he worked in construction; he owned a mechanic shop for a while, and he also worked at Chicago Rawhide.
In the late ‘80s, he moved back to Licking with his new wife, Jane. Here he started running a small herd of cows. He had his cows, his tractors, and his trucks. His favorite was his pride and joy, the ’57 Chevy Bel Air. He loved showing his baby at car shows. He also liked to fish and go to the races.
He loved his family and friends. He enjoyed having big BBQs with everyone invited.
He met the second love of his life, Alice Vessey and they joined their families on July 15, 2017. They spent over five beautiful years together. Alice and Gary took care of each other through many illnesses. They loved each other very much.
Gary is preceded in death by Jane, his parents, his brothers: Ed, Bob, Chuck, and Wayne, his sisters: Edna, Marie, Louise, and Virginia. He is survived by his partner, Alice Vessey, Chuck, Conrad, and Carl, and his sons: Gary Jr. and Larry, his brothers: Dean (Betty) and Ray (Joan), his grandchildren and great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Gary was very generous and always willing to help his loved ones. Gary was loved and will be missed by all.
