John Kinman Gates' Obituary
John Kinman Gates — known affectionately as “Buddy” — passed away peacefully at home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma in the early morning hours of May 18th, 2025. He was 97 years old, and not one of those years was wasted.
Born December 22, 1927, in Bloomington, Indiana, John was the son of John Vermeule Gates — a musician, businessman, and farmer — and Olentice Kinman Gates, a schoolteacher with a sharp mind and a loving heart. Though he lost his mother young, John was blessed with a second mother in Frieda Gates, who helped shape the kind and occasionally ornery man he would become.
After the death of his father, John and his beloved sister Alice sold the family farm — a move that led him to Western Electric (a subsidiary of AT&T) in Indianapolis, kicking off a career that would span decades. In true John fashion, he paused briefly to serve his country in the Korean War before returning to WE, where he worked until his retirement in 1982.
During his bachelor days, John built a house next door to Alice and her husband Floyd (his best friend). While shopping for paint at the local Sears, he caught the eye of a charming blonde named Maxine Cooper. She sold paint. He needed lots of it. Seven years of friendly flirting later, they married in March 1961 and welcomed their first daughter, Jane Ellen Gates in 1962.
Life gave John its fair share of sorrows. He endured the loss of his sister Alice and his infant daughter Jill Ann. Yet even in heartbreak, he pressed forward. A career transfer took the family to Cross Lake in Shreveport, Louisiana, where they welcomed their third daughter, Patricia, in 1967.
John didn’t just work — he served. At Western Electric, he was active in the Telephone Pioneers of America, eventually serving as president. He especially loved his time with the “Wheeler Dealers,” a volunteer group supporting Shriners Hospital.
He also sang his heart out in the church choir, taught Sunday School, and served faithfully — first at First Church of the Nazarene, and later at Huntington Park Church of the Nazarene.
John loved a good meal, a better story, and great company. He had a special talent for stretching the truth just enough to make a tale more entertaining. He introduced his Indiana relatives to Louisiana cuisine and made sure no one left hungry — especially his grandkids, who were regularly treated to donuts and Pancho’s Mexican Buffet.
He was the kind of grandpa who expressed love through playful teasing and providing candy and delicious snacks. He never missed a chance to make a memory, even if it involved removing a gizzard or two for dramatic effect.
John is survived by his two daughters: Janie Gates Young (Robert) of Coweta, OK, and Patti Gates Milford of Oklahoma City, OK; six grandchildren: Angela Thomason of Burlington, OK, Lauren (Missy) Talbott of Coweta, OK, Christi Leigh Hughey of Broken Arrow, OK, Clay Milford and Cooper Milford of Bethany, OK, and Sarah Young of Broken Arrow, OK. He is also remembered with love by many nieces, nephews, and great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, May 21st from 5–7 PM.
Funeral services will follow on Thursday, May 22nd at 3 PM at the Floral Haven Chapel, 6500 South 129th East Avenue, Broken Arrow, OK 74012.
John Gates was one of a kind — steady, strong, generous, funny, and deeply loved. He left this world with stories told, daughters cherished, and a legacy of laughter and love.
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