Michael Walter Gates

March 20, 1952 - March 30, 2017

Michael Walter Gates of Fort Collins, Colorado, passed away suddenly on Thursday, March 30, 2017 at his home after suffering a massive heart attack. Michael had celebrated his 65th birthday just 10 days earlier. He was born in Orange California on March 20, 1952 to Charles Oscar Gates, Jr. and Anna Nadine (Hagins) Gates while his father was serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Michael's early years were spent in Colorado. His family moved to Bakersfield, California in 1956 where Michael began a lifelong love of learning while attending Roosevelt Elementary School. His father's work as a school administrator took them from Bakersfield to Shafter, California in 1965 where he attended Richland Elementary and Shafter High School. It was in Shafter that he made many lifelong friends and he enjoyed spending time with them over the years. In 1969, the family moved to McFarland, CA where Michael graduate from high school in June 1970. Michael continued his education at Colorado State University in 1970-71, obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern California and finished his education receiving a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the University of California Law School in 1983. He spent some time clerking for a federal judge in New York City, worked in the Stock Exchange, taught English in Japan and ran a reading program in both Atlanta Georgia and Ft. Collins Colorado. He spent some time teaching disadvantaged youth in Ft. Collins, also. He was a lifelong learner and was seldom too far from a good book. Later years found him in the mountains above Ft. Collins, living a rustic lifestyle in the Poudre Canyon, refurbishing a family cabin and working various jobs in the mountain construction industry. He was indeed a Renaissance Man. Michael dedicated the last few years of his life, lovingly caring for his parents while he pursued yet another interest, that of writing. He was in the process of writing a novel at his passing. Michael was a faithful attendee of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Ft. Collins, CO. Michael is survived by his mother, Anna Nadine Hagins (Dean) Gates of Ft. Collins, Co., his sister, Charla Deane (Gates) (Anderson) Whitman (David) of Los Osos, CA., nephew Charles Thomas Anderson (Paula) of Santa Ynez, CA, nephew Christopher Michael Whitman (Shanna) of San Martin, CA, nephew Matthew Ward Whitman (Jacklyn) of Paso Robles CA and niece, Julie Anna (Whitman) Madden (Jeffrey) of Scott AFB, IL. Additional survivors are great nephews Charles Wallace Anderson, Charles Quincy Anderson, Brody Alexander Madden, Baby Boy of Matthew and Jacklyn Whitman expected June 2017 and great niece Caraline Rose Madden. Michael leaves behind numerous cousins from both the Gates and Hagins family and best friend from high school years Don Stepp and his daughters Heather and Olivia. Michael was preceded in death by his father, Charles Oscar Gates, Jr. in November 2015 as well as his fraternal grandparends Charles Oscar Gates, Sr. and Mary Amanda Beattie Gates and maternal grandparents Lela Mae Shaffer Hagins Holmes and Roy Thomas Hagins. A memorial mass will be held on Thursday, April 6, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Joseph's Catholic Chruch in Ft. Collins, CO. Internment will follow at Grandview Cemetery, also in Ft. Collins. CO. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The American Heart Association or your local chapter of NAMI with specific designation for bipolar disorder research and support. Larimer County Association of NAMI is PO Box 2926 Loveland, CO 80539.