Gordon W. Gates

A graveside service for Gordon W. Gates, 60, of Coos Bay, will be held at 1 p.m., Friday, Jan. 4, 2019, at the Gates Cemetery in Crow. A celebration of life memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 1290 Thompson Road in Coos Bay, with a potluck reception to follow.

Gordon was born Nov. 23, 1958 in Eugene, to Wesley and Ardeane (Hildebrand) Gates. He passed away Dec. 27, 2018 in Coos Bay, from complications from cancer.

Gordon grew up in Crow, and attended elementary and high school there, graduating in 1977. He first went to Linfield College, working his way through school in order to earn degrees in accounting and German. He spent the 1979 to 1980 school year in Tübingen, Germany where he attended the University. While in Germany, he worked on his family’s farm and remained in close contact with them throughout his adult life (as well as with the many friends he met on his adventures abroad).

In 1980, Gordon met a fellow Linfield student named Patti Breitkreutz. He didn’t know it at that time, but she was to become the love of his life. They were married in 1986 and a few years later, became the proud parents of three children, Rebecca, Tristan and Logan. If Patti was the love of his life, then in 2014 the “apple of his eye” was born, his grandson Dresden.

Gordon worked at a number of local businesses throughout his accounting career, including International Paper, Menasha Corp, Knife River and the Coos County Regional Airport in addition to his role as accountant for his wife’s practice, Coos Bay Vision Center. He had an outstanding work ethic that his many friends and family greatly admired. He retired in 2016 because of illness but still remained an active volunteer within the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Leadership Coos, Garden Lane Road District and the Coos Bay Yacht Club, where he served as Commodore for the 2018 year.

It is impossible to condense his extraordinary life to a few paragraphs that will never do it justice. Gordon was a lover of travel, diverse cultures and cuisine, adventure, sailing and all things German. Most of all, he cherished his entire family and many friends. In short, he loved life and fought as hard as he could to remain with us. His family finds comfort in that he had a deep, unwavering faith in God and belief in Jesus as his Savior.

He was a good man, a good friend, a great father and husband who will be profoundly missed.

Gordon is survived by his wife, Patricia Gates, OD of Coos Bay; daughter, Rebecca Gates and partner, Cody Putnam of Eugene; son, Tristan Gates and partner, Andrea Malone of Coos Bay; son, Logan Gates and partner, Bridget Thurman of Coos Bay; grandson, Dresden Sanchez of Eugene; mother, Ardeane Gates and step-father, Roger Person, both of Crow; father, Wesley Gates of Crow; brothers, Gary and wife, Beverly Gates of Graham, Wash., and Gail Gates of Veneta; parents-in-law, Bob and Donna Breitkreutz; brothers-in-law, Mark Breitkreutz and David and wife, Darlene Breitkreutz; sister-in-law, Alicen and Gary Houghton; as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions in Gordon’s name may be made to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 1290 Thompson Road, Coos Bay, OR 97420 or the Coos Bay Yacht Club Junior Fleet,  PO Box 296, Coos Bay, OR 97420

Arrangements are under the care of Coos Bay Chapel, 541-267-3131.

Friends and family are encouraged to sign the online guestbook at www.coosbayareafunerals.com

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