James Alton Gates Jr.'s Obituary
James A. Gates, Jr., “Jim”, left this world peacefully on January 27, 2016 after a long struggle with Parkinson’s Disease. Born in Alexandria, LA, he was the eldest of three sons to Una and James A. Gates, Sr. Jim grew up in Southern California and graduated from Torrance High School before serving as a Sargent in the Air Force during the Korean War. Upon returning home, he married his sweetheart and enjoyed the next 62 years together living in both California and Oklahoma. Jim spent his entire career working in the insurance industry as an executive with both Transamerica Occidental Life and Atlas Life. Family and friends will always fondly remember Jim, Pop, and Grandpa as an enthusiast of stories, family history and a traveler of back roads. Jim is survived by his loving wife, two children, three grandchildren, one great grandchild, one brother and their respective families. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother.
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