Robert Ray Gates

Bob was born on July 10, 1927, in Vancouver and was raised by his adoptive grandmother. He grew up on Cherry Street in Bellingham, attending grade school at the Adventist School and Columbia Elementary, junior high at Whatcom, then Bellingham High School. In high school, he was active in sports, playing football and baseball. After graduating from BHS in 1946, Bob was drafted into the US Army where he was assigned to the 120th Military Police at the War Crimes Trials in Tokyo, Japan after World War II, escorting former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo and others to their court appearances.

In 1947, Bob was honorably discharged from the Army and used the G.I. Bill to enroll in the Teacher's Program at Western Washington College. While there he played baseball for four seasons, and football for three. In October of 1950, Bob's studies were interrupted as he received “greetings from Uncle Sam” and was called back into the Army for the Korean War. While in college, Bob met Shirley Johnson from Bremerton, WA and they married in November of 1950. Shortly after, Bob was shipped off to the Korean Peninsula and assigned to the 27th Infantry Regiment in the 25th Infantry Division. Bob spent 10 months with the 25th during which time he received the Combat Infantry Badge. Luckily, the only “wound” Bob received was frostbite and a strong dislike of camping after months of sleeping outside in sub-freezing weather.

In 1952 Bob was Naturalized as a U.S. citizen, was discharged from the Army, and started his senior year at Western Washington College. In 1953, Bob graduated from Western with a teaching degree. His first teaching position was with the Sedro-Woolley School District at Hamilton Grade School. In 1955, the Gates family moved from Sedro-Woolley to Ferndale where Bob had accepted a teaching position with the Ferndale School District at Custer Grade School. In 1957, Bob began teaching at Ferndale High School where he taught history until his retirement in 1982. Many of Bob’s former students will recall that Wednesdays in Bob’s classroom were “film days”, which allowed Bob to “reboot” after his weekly Rover Boys poker games held on Tuesday nights.

While at FHS, Bob was actively involved in Golden Eagle sports, as an assistant football coach for 10 years, and as head baseball coach for 20 years. After leaving football coaching, he took up officiating high school and college football and basketball games.

After 29 years of teaching, Bob retired from FHS and went to work full-time for the U.S Immigration Service, working primarily at the Blaine US/Canadian border crossing. In 1989, Bob retired from Immigration after which he and his wife Diane spent their summers boating in the San Juans and enjoying their winters in Scottsdale, AZ. In 1997 Bob and Diane moved to Lynden where they continued to enjoy golfing and traveling. Diane passed away in January of 2019, and Bob continued to live in Lynden until his passing on April 26, 2026. He was thankful for the staff at Meadow Greens, who provided caring assistance to him in the years after his fall in October of 2021.

Bob is survived by sons Steve of Burlington, WA, Richard of Boston, MA, and Brian (Lisa) of Pensacola, FL, step- daughters Lori (Lance) Hoepner of Southern Pines, NC, and Kim (Doug) TeVelde of Everson, WA, and eight grandchildren, two great grandsons, and nephew Tom (Cindy) Roberson of Sudden Valley. Bob will be cremated and interred at Greenacres Memorial Park in Ferndale. At his request, there will be no public service.