Arthur Edward 'Art' Bates June 5, 1921 - October 19, 2014
We'll celebrate Art's life on Sunday, November 2, 2014 at an old-fashioned family-style dinner (with lots of gravy) from 6 to 9 pm at the Royal Canadian Legion Crescent Branch 240, 2643 128 Street, Surrey, BC V4A 3W6. Please advise if you plan to attend by emailing info@margobates.com by noon on Oct 29.
Arthur Edward Bates was born on June 5, 1921 in Ogema, Saskatchewan, Canada. Parents: Arthur and Ada Myrtle Bates. Moved to Hazelton, BC in 1937. Moved to Telkwa, BC in 1939. Served as an AB (Able Bodied) Seaman with the Royal Canadian Navy during WWII. Moved back to Telkwa after the War. Moved to Terrace, BC in 1960. Moved to White Rock, BC in 1971. Moved to Surrey, BC. First, the Peninsula Retirement Residence in 2007, and then to Westminster House in 2012.
Brother to Robert, George, Beryl, Richard, Gordon and Gerald. Husband to Frankie. Son-in-Law to William & Annie Noonan. Brother-in-Law to Doe, Bette, Art, Edie, Debbie and Jewel, Molly & Stan, Frank & Lou. Uncle to Bob Jr. (Judy) & Leanna (Bev), Joanne (Ray), Lynne (Larry), George Jr. (Janeen) & Jay (Shelley), Susan & Sandra (Brian), Steve (Carol) & Wendy (Leonard), Vera (Peter) & Art (Pauline), Bill (Pauline|Judy), Liz (Dave), Ann, Jeanne (Bud) & Judy (Rick). Father to Margo. Father-in-law to Russ. Grandfather to Rachael (Tommaso) & Joel (Emma), Honorary Grandfather to Tyson, Corina (Davan) & Ana (Karim) and Inaara. Great Grandfather to Damian, Anna & Miss Maggie.
Art was: A sign painter. Oil painter. Watercolourist. Inventor. TV weatherman. Politician. Ski jumper. Skier. Draughtsman. Personnel manager. Radio announcer. Sailor. Marksman. His father was a Northwest Mounted Policeman and an RCMP. General & Drill instructor in Royal Canadian Navy. Parade Float designer. Jersey cow herder. Made leather crafts. Prospector. Bus driver. Carpenter. House designer. Writer. Drummer. Trumpet player. Ukulele player in the key of‘F’. Member of 1930’s Dance Band, The Rhythm Rollers. Graduate of H. Faulkner Smith Academy of Fine Art in Vancouver. Car salesman. Private pilot. Air show organizer. Fireman. Fire chief. Town councillor. Lay minister for the United Church. Restaurant owner. Hiker. Senior citizen. Dog owner. Stockbroker. Hospital patient. Housing development project superintendent. Newsletter editor. Newspaper columnist. Advertising Salesman. Sales Manager. Commercial artist. Railroad rider in the dirty thirties. Dairy farmer. Hawaiian tour guide. Game show host. Owner of the world’s only Banana Belt. Limerick writer. Lived in Victoria. Lived in Vancouver. Pipe smoker. Amethyst Miner. Molybdenum Miner. Forester. Short order cook. Timber Cruiser. Square Dancer (not his best feat). Nonagenarian. Loved to eat. Once weighed 137 pounds. Poet. Read the complete Oxford Dictionary. Charter President of Telkwa Kinsmen. Charter President of Terrace Kiwanis. Founding member of the Lower Mainland Yacht Co-op. Designed and helped to build Cenotaph at Terrace City Hall. Walked forty miles from Kitimat to Terrace in a walk-a-thon. Had a cabin at Lakelse Lake. Fell in a cesspool while at the cabin. Was chased by a grizzly. Killed a bear. Was chased by a wolverine. Knocked himself out when a wolf spider jumped on his chest. Allergic to horses. Allergic to cats. Owned a second-hand antique store. Received personal Christmas cards from Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Married to Frankie for 66 years. Hospitalized for two years due to lung condition during WWII. Mountain climber. Dreamed of opening the Seven Sisters Trail system. Learned the computer when he was 72. Owned a Honda named Fenry. A natural-born cusser. Invented a logging game called ‘Timber.’ Designed his team’s winning sandcastle, ‘Paul Bunyan & his ox Babe.’ Was right handed. Wrote like a doctor. Best hand-lettering sign painter in the family. Read the adventures of Tom Sawyer, and the adventures of Huckleberry Finn on his KOBO Reader. Loved Cheese Whiz. Had all his own teeth. Named his walker ‘Johnny.’ Invented Tru-Kut Saw Guide. Designed and produced a gold pan kit. Designed and produced commemorative Last Spike for Engine 374. In the late 1950s, invented, and in the late 1960s, patented, Action Roll System for rolling and laying forestry fire hose. The ‘hose roller’ is still in use today by forest services around North America. Saved the White Rock Pier in the 1970s. Honoured by the City of White Rock and BC Government for saving the White Rock Pier in 2013. At age 90 he worked on a patent application for a new invention.
Art died peacefully on Sunday, October 19, 2014 at Westminster House after a life well-lived. His daughter, son-in-law, nephew and niece were with him.
Thanks and love from our family to the caring staff at Westminster House for their support, kindness and friendship, and to our family doctor, Dr. David Anderson. His best medicine was laughing at Dad's jokes. If you want to honour Art, his wishes were that you hug a loved one, say hello to someone new, or make a donation to your favourite charity. (Allergies run in the family ... no floral tributes, please.)