Gary Raymond Bates, 79

Gary Bates passed away July 30, 2024, at Kootenai Health in Coeur d'Alene at the age of 79. He was born in South Gate, Calif., on May 3, 1945, to Franklin E. Bates and Lorraine (Guertin) Bates.

He grew up in the same general area along with his older brother, Danny, where they had an idyllic 1950s childhood spent riding bikes and playing baseball. Gary was known as “Batesy” to most of his friends throughout his life. He loved almost all sports, but baseball was his passion. Gary graduated from Huntington Park High School in Huntington Park, Calif., in 1963. A year later, he joined the Air Force in 1964-68, where he was deployed overseas. He also played baseball part of the time. In 1984, he joined the Air Force Reserves at Fairchild AFB in Airway Heights, Wash. (349th CH Det 1) and retired from the Air Force in 2002. He worked at the Fairchild AFB hospital as a contracting officer and as a civilian and retired in 2003. While employed there, in 1997, he was honored with an award from the Air Force for his part in the development of the Tri-Care program. He received the award at the Pentagon.

Gary married his first wife, Frannie, in 1975. They lived in Downey, Calif., for a few years and then decided to move north to Post Falls, Idaho, where they both could enjoy the rural outdoors.

He then married Kathy Russell in 1996, and he gained three stepsons, Brian, Kris and Nick … and eventually seven grandchildren. To the grandkids, he was known as “Grampa B," exactly how he wanted to be known to them. He loved being a “cool” grandpa and was a big showoff, but they had him figured out from the get-go. Though he couldn’t do as much with them in the past few years as he used to, he truly loved his grandchildren. He would be so happy to know a great-grandchild is on the way.

A big Mariners fan, Gary stuck with them through good times and bad. He never missed a televised game, and he and Kathy went to many Mariners games in Seattle. He loved the outdoors, camping and especially fishing … in his boat on a lake or fly fishing on a river somewhere. He loved mowing the lawn and plowing all the neighbors' driveways in the winter.

Gary leaves behind his wife, Kathy, of 28 years, brother Danny, lifelong best friend Sonny, cousins Mike and Mindy, stepsons Brian/Jenni, Kristopher and Nicholas/Emily and his grandchildren Tyler/Nourah, Hannah, Adam/Mckenzie, Kaden, Lily, Matthew and Ronin ... and his special dog, Lottie.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Lorraine, and several cousins and friends.

A celebration of Gary will be held Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, at 1 p.m. at Real Life Ministries, 1860 Cecil Road, Post Falls, Idaho, Building 1 in the upper room.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. Revelation 21:4