Byron Bates Jr., Dallas Morning News retiree, dies at 95
By JOE SIMNACHER
Staff Writer
Published: 24 April 2014 10:30 PM
With the exception of his Navy service during World War II, Byron Adolphus “Beans” Bates Jr. spent his working career at The Dallas Morning News.
Bates delivered The News in the morning and its sister publication, the Journal, in the afternoon during his four years at Sunset High School. In 1936 he joined The News, where he became an advertising manager. He retired in 1983.
Bates, 95, died Monday of natural causes at Grace Presbyterian Village.
A celebration of his life will be at 2:15 p.m. Friday at Grace Presbyterian Village, where visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. in the parlor.
A memorial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church in Dallas. He will be buried in Laurel Land Memorial Park.
Bates liked working with his advertising customers, including El Fenix restaurants, movie theaters and nightclub operator Jack Ruby, said his daughter, Ruth Ann Johnson of Toledo.
“He just enjoyed going out and talking to his customers and trying to get the best deal he could for them,” Johnson said. “They trusted him.”
Her father also enjoyed working with his colleagues, he said.
In November 1981, Bates was robbed and kidnapped. The advertising manager had stopped his car in the 200 block of West Greenbriar Lane to review paperwork when an armed man robbed him and forced him into the trunk of his car. The man then used the car to hold up a service station on West Davis Street.
Bates was a lifelong athlete, who enjoyed baseball and golf. He got his nickname as a boy from a sandlot teammate who gave his fellow players vegetable names.
An avid golder, Bates shot his age once a year from the time he was about 73 until he was 92, his daughter said.
Bates was born in Pilot Point and moved with his family to Dallas as a child. He graduated from Sunset High School.
He joined the newspaper staff in 1936 and enlisted in the Navy 41/2 years later. He served 27 months on the U.S.S. Saratoga during World War II. The aircraft carrier was twice torpedoed while he was aboard.
In 1944, he was assigned to the escort carrier U.S.S. Shipley, where he completed his five years of military service.
In June 1946, he married Billy Jean Shivers.
Bates was one of the veterans who traveled to Washington, D.C., last October as part of DFW Honor Flight No. 17.
In addition to his wife and daughter, Bates is survived by a son, Randy Bates of Aurora, Mo.; two sisters, Leta Lassetter of Dallas and Jane Goode of Colleyville; four grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
By JOE SIMNACHER
Staff Writer
Published: 24 April 2014 10:30 PM
With the exception of his Navy service during World War II, Byron Adolphus “Beans” Bates Jr. spent his working career at The Dallas Morning News.
Bates delivered The News in the morning and its sister publication, the Journal, in the afternoon during his four years at Sunset High School. In 1936 he joined The News, where he became an advertising manager. He retired in 1983.
Bates, 95, died Monday of natural causes at Grace Presbyterian Village.
A celebration of his life will be at 2:15 p.m. Friday at Grace Presbyterian Village, where visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. in the parlor.
A memorial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church in Dallas. He will be buried in Laurel Land Memorial Park.
Bates liked working with his advertising customers, including El Fenix restaurants, movie theaters and nightclub operator Jack Ruby, said his daughter, Ruth Ann Johnson of Toledo.
“He just enjoyed going out and talking to his customers and trying to get the best deal he could for them,” Johnson said. “They trusted him.”
Her father also enjoyed working with his colleagues, he said.
In November 1981, Bates was robbed and kidnapped. The advertising manager had stopped his car in the 200 block of West Greenbriar Lane to review paperwork when an armed man robbed him and forced him into the trunk of his car. The man then used the car to hold up a service station on West Davis Street.
Bates was a lifelong athlete, who enjoyed baseball and golf. He got his nickname as a boy from a sandlot teammate who gave his fellow players vegetable names.
An avid golder, Bates shot his age once a year from the time he was about 73 until he was 92, his daughter said.
Bates was born in Pilot Point and moved with his family to Dallas as a child. He graduated from Sunset High School.
He joined the newspaper staff in 1936 and enlisted in the Navy 41/2 years later. He served 27 months on the U.S.S. Saratoga during World War II. The aircraft carrier was twice torpedoed while he was aboard.
In 1944, he was assigned to the escort carrier U.S.S. Shipley, where he completed his five years of military service.
In June 1946, he married Billy Jean Shivers.
Bates was one of the veterans who traveled to Washington, D.C., last October as part of DFW Honor Flight No. 17.
In addition to his wife and daughter, Bates is survived by a son, Randy Bates of Aurora, Mo.; two sisters, Leta Lassetter of Dallas and Jane Goode of Colleyville; four grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Byron Bates Jr., Dallas Morning News retiree, dies at 95
By JOE SIMNACHER
Staff Writer
Published: 24 April 2014 10:30 PM
With the exception of his Navy service during World War II, Byron Adolphus “Beans” Bates Jr. spent his working career at The Dallas Morning News.
Bates delivered The News in the morning and its sister publication, the Journal, in the afternoon during his four years at Sunset High School. In 1936 he joined The News, where he became an advertising manager. He retired in 1983.
Bates, 95, died Monday of natural causes at Grace Presbyterian Village.
A celebration of his life will be at 2:15 p.m. Friday at Grace Presbyterian Village, where visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. in the parlor.
A memorial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church in Dallas. He will be buried in Laurel Land Memorial Park.
Bates liked working with his advertising customers, including El Fenix restaurants, movie theaters and nightclub operator Jack Ruby, said his daughter, Ruth Ann Johnson of Toledo.
“He just enjoyed going out and talking to his customers and trying to get the best deal he could for them,” Johnson said. “They trusted him.”
Her father also enjoyed working with his colleagues, he said.
In November 1981, Bates was robbed and kidnapped. The advertising manager had stopped his car in the 200 block of West Greenbriar Lane to review paperwork when an armed man robbed him and forced him into the trunk of his car. The man then used the car to hold up a service station on West Davis Street.
Bates was a lifelong athlete, who enjoyed baseball and golf. He got his nickname as a boy from a sandlot teammate who gave his fellow players vegetable names.
An avid golder, Bates shot his age once a year from the time he was about 73 until he was 92, his daughter said.
Bates was born in Pilot Point and moved with his family to Dallas as a child. He graduated from Sunset High School.
He joined the newspaper staff in 1936 and enlisted in the Navy 41/2 years later. He served 27 months on the U.S.S. Saratoga during World War II. The aircraft carrier was twice torpedoed while he was aboard.
In 1944, he was assigned to the escort carrier U.S.S. Shipley, where he completed his five years of military service.
In June 1946, he married Billy Jean Shivers.
Bates was one of the veterans who traveled to Washington, D.C., last October as part of DFW Honor Flight No. 17.
In addition to his wife and daughter, Bates is survived by a son, Randy Bates of Aurora, Mo.; two sisters, Leta Lassetter of Dallas and Jane Goode of Colleyville; four grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
By JOE SIMNACHER
Staff Writer
Published: 24 April 2014 10:30 PM
With the exception of his Navy service during World War II, Byron Adolphus “Beans” Bates Jr. spent his working career at The Dallas Morning News.
Bates delivered The News in the morning and its sister publication, the Journal, in the afternoon during his four years at Sunset High School. In 1936 he joined The News, where he became an advertising manager. He retired in 1983.
Bates, 95, died Monday of natural causes at Grace Presbyterian Village.
A celebration of his life will be at 2:15 p.m. Friday at Grace Presbyterian Village, where visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. in the parlor.
A memorial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church in Dallas. He will be buried in Laurel Land Memorial Park.
Bates liked working with his advertising customers, including El Fenix restaurants, movie theaters and nightclub operator Jack Ruby, said his daughter, Ruth Ann Johnson of Toledo.
“He just enjoyed going out and talking to his customers and trying to get the best deal he could for them,” Johnson said. “They trusted him.”
Her father also enjoyed working with his colleagues, he said.
In November 1981, Bates was robbed and kidnapped. The advertising manager had stopped his car in the 200 block of West Greenbriar Lane to review paperwork when an armed man robbed him and forced him into the trunk of his car. The man then used the car to hold up a service station on West Davis Street.
Bates was a lifelong athlete, who enjoyed baseball and golf. He got his nickname as a boy from a sandlot teammate who gave his fellow players vegetable names.
An avid golder, Bates shot his age once a year from the time he was about 73 until he was 92, his daughter said.
Bates was born in Pilot Point and moved with his family to Dallas as a child. He graduated from Sunset High School.
He joined the newspaper staff in 1936 and enlisted in the Navy 41/2 years later. He served 27 months on the U.S.S. Saratoga during World War II. The aircraft carrier was twice torpedoed while he was aboard.
In 1944, he was assigned to the escort carrier U.S.S. Shipley, where he completed his five years of military service.
In June 1946, he married Billy Jean Shivers.
Bates was one of the veterans who traveled to Washington, D.C., last October as part of DFW Honor Flight No. 17.
In addition to his wife and daughter, Bates is survived by a son, Randy Bates of Aurora, Mo.; two sisters, Leta Lassetter of Dallas and Jane Goode of Colleyville; four grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
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