Robert John 'Bob" Gates

Robert John "Bob" Gates took a final ride into the sunset on Friday, August 4, 2017 at Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona following a brief illness.  He was 77 years old.  Bob was born on a Sunday, September 3, 1939 in Edgewood, Iowa to his parents, the late John William and Sybil (Griffith) Gates.As a very young boy, Bob moved to Arizona with his family, making their home in Tucson.  He was a graduated member of Amphitheater High School's Class of 1957.  After his graduation, he attended college for a short while.  On January 7, 1961, Bob married his "Forever Sweetheart," Linda Kaye Hall in North English, Iowa.  Most recently, the happy couple celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary together.  In 1980, the Bob and Linda, with their teenaged children in tow, moved Lakeside, Arizona.  He worked for several years as the Navajo County Fair Manager and loved every minute of it.Bob was a huge old car enthusiast.  He was one of the co-founders of and was key in starting the "Run to the Pines" Car Show 34 years ago.  The car show is an annual event that literally brings thousands of people to travel from all over the state to Lakeside in their old classic cars.  The event has always been a favorite for the "locals" as well, as they would line the streets and watch the parade of hundreds of classic cars drive from Show Low to Lakeside/Pinetop.  It always made for a great afternoon.  The parade of cars would then be on display for a couple of days, drawing thousands of spectators to come and see the beautiful classics.  Bob always had a string of old cars himself, however, his favorite was his '66 Mustang.  Most recently he acquired an American Motors AMX and was looking forward to adding that car to his classic collection.Bob was a man who appreciated the communities in which he lived.  Not only did he love the beauty of the White Mountains but, he also loved the people who lived there.  He was a good "neighbor" to everybody.  Bob was a man who lived his life in the service of others.  He helped coordinate countless fundraisers over the course of the past several decades.  He and Linda were ever-present activists in their fundraising endeavors and helped bring in tens of thousands of dollars to local White Mountain groups including:  Meals on Wheels, The Animal Shelter and the S.A.F.E. House. Of all of his achievements in this life, Bob's greatest accomplishment was that of his family.  He knew that no measure of worldly success could ever compensate for failure in the home.  He loved his family more than anything and taught them well by his example.  He taught them the value of hard work and how to love.  His wife, Linda, said that "He was my sweetheart for a long time and he was my crutch in life."  His daughter, Kristi, added that "I was always a Daddy's girl."  His son J. said that his dad "was not afraid to be a father to anybody because, between Kristi's and my friends, he raised a lot of kids!"  Bob's grandchildren also had loving things to say of him.  Greg said that "he was loved by all;  It didn't matter if they knew him for 5 minutes or a lifetime."  Aaron said, "He was always there for me."  Bob is survived by his wife, Linda Gates of Lakeside, Arizona; his 2 children:  Kristi (Adrian) Pacheco-Hayden of Southport, North Carolina; John "J." (Sandi) Gates of Queen Creek, Arizona; 3 grandchildren:  Greg Pacheco (and his fiancé, Jessica Caroon), Aaron Pacheco both of Southport, North Carolina, Mitch Gates of Queen Creek, Arizona and is also survived by his sister, Joycia Weinzapfel of Tucson, Arizona.The public visitation and viewing will be from 6:00 P.M., Wednesday, August 9, 2017 at Owens Livingston Mortuary - White Mountain Chapel, 320 N. 9th Street in Show Low, Arizona.  On Thursday, those car enthusiasts who would like to drive their old classic cars and drive in the procession, escorting the hearse carrying Bob's casket to the funeral, are invited to gather at Owens Livingston Mortuary NO LATER than 11:15 A.M. to Thursday, August 10, 2016.  The funeral service will begin 1:00 P.M., Thursday, August 10, 2017 at the Pinetop First Baptist Church, 1901 E. White Mountain Boulevard in Pinetop, Arizona. Memorial contributions in Bob's name to:  White Mountain Meals on Wheels, 301 E McNeil, Show Low, AZ 85901; or to:  The White Mountain S.A.F.E. House, P.O. Box 1890, Pinetop, AZ 85935; or to: The Humane Society of the White Mountains, P.O. Box 909, Lakeside, AZ 85929 have all been suggested by his family.The Gates family is thankful for all of the expressions of sympathy that they have received during this difficult time and are especially grateful for all of the prayers offered up on their behalf.