Henry Smith
Bates, Jr
Cambridge-Henry
Smith Bates
Jr, 93, of
Cambridge,
NY, passed
into
eternity on
Tuesday,
March 31,
2020 at the
Vermont
Veteran’s
Home in
Bennington,
VT after a
long
illness. He
lived a long
life filled
with love
for family
and friends,
as well as
his country,
community,
and
fellow
man.
Henry and
his twin
brother John
were born to
Henry and
Seraph Bates
on Flag Day,
June 14,
1926, at the
Mary
McClellan
Hospital, in
Cambridge,
NY. As a
child, Henry
attended the
Coila
Church,
through
which he
entered the
Bible
reading
contests
that brought
him into
contact with
a young
woman who
became his
wife, Ruth
Elizabeth
Muirhead.
Henry’s
entire life
was
dedicated to
serving
others. He
enlisted in
the Navy
directly out
of high
school,
serving a
total of six
and a half
years as a
radar
technician
during both
WWII and the
Korean war.
When he left
the service,
Henry began
his own
plumbing and
HVAC
company,
serving his
community in
this
capacity for
nearly 70
years. Henry
became the
Cambridge
Fire Chief
in 1962,
serving in
that
capacity for
26 years. He
was chief
engineer at
Mary
McClellan
Hospital for
many years,
and drove a
school bus
for
Cambridge
Central
School for
32 years.
Henry’s high
standard of
excellence
and his
incredible
work ethic
earned him
the respect
of everyone
who knew
him.
In recent
years, Henry
attended the
Sandgate
Methodist
Church,
enjoying
fellowship
with its
members who
continued to
keep in
touch with
him even
when he was
unable to be
present.
Henry is
survived by
his sons,
Henry III
(Skip) and
his wife
Dale; David
and his wife
Laurie; and
Timothy and
his wife
Cherise; his
beloved
grandchildren,
Shawn, Luke,
Michael,
Daniel,
Sarah, Noah,
Carissa, and
Zachary; and
his great
grandchildren
Jared,
Josiah,
Lauren, Ruth
and Esther
Bates, and
Veda and
Maxwell
Worboys.
He was
predeceased
by his wife
of 62 years,
Ruth E.M.
Bates, his
brothers
John and
Donald, and
his sister
May Elliott.
The family
wishes to
express
their
heartfelt
thanks to
the staff of
the Vermont
Veterans’
home for
their
loving,
compassionate
care of
their dad
during his
stay there,
the SWVMC
Cancer
Center.
Words cannot
express how
thankful we
are for you.
Due to the
COVID-19
pandemic,
the service
for Henry
will be
private for
the family
only at this
time; however,
there will
be a time of
visitation
at the
Ackley, Ross
& Gariepy
Funeral
Home, 73
West Main
Street,
Cambridge
from 2-4 PM
on Sunday,
April 5,
2020. Social
distancing
will be in
effect, with
a limited
number of
guests
allowed into
the funeral
home at a
given time
during the
visitation.
Donations in
Henry’s
memory may
be made to
the building
fund of the
Cambridge
Fire
Department,
P.O. Box
554,
Cambridge,
NY 12816.
To plant
a tree
in
memory
of Henry
Smith
Bates,
Jr.,
please
visit
our tribute
store.
Class
of 1944
Red
Rose List
Tributes Index
|