Leslie C. Gates of Beckley passed away Sunday following a short illness. He was 89 years of age. Born on Nov. 17, 1918, in Dorothy, he was the son of the late Lauren A. Gates and Caroline (Lillian) Sandburg Gates. He was also preceded in death by his first wife, Martha Rose Gates; and brothers, John Milton and Lauren A. (L.A.) Gates. Survivors include his wife, Anneva Covey Gates; a daughter, Ellen Elaine Gates Anderson and husband, Jim, of Beckley; and a son, L.A. Gates and wife, Lou, of Beckley; four grandchildren, Leslie Jane Anderson Martin and husband, Jim, of Charleston, Jay Anderson of Beckley, Jane Kelli Gates Turner and husband, Jake, of Denver, Colo., and Michael Brian Gates of Denver, Colo; four great grandchildren, Michael Garret Anderson, Caroline Rose Turner, Cadey Grace Turner and Tavin Gates Turner; step-grandchildren, Kellie Snyder and husband, Wade, Scott Riffe and wife, Angie, and Jon Riffe and wife, Kara, and by seven stepgreat-grandchildren; two stepsons, William C. Covey III of Gainesville, Fla., and Dr. Douglass F. Covey and wife, Renee Lilly Covey, of Duluth, Ga; two stepgrandchildren, Douglass F. Covey, Jr., and Megan Renee Covey. He is also survived by a sister-in-law, Ferna Shewsbury of Beckley.
Mr. Gates was a 1936 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School and a 1940 graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in Civil Engineering. He served in World War II as a major with the 300th Engineer Combat Battalion in Europe, participated in five battles and received the Purple Heart award.
He had a long and distinguished career in civil and mining engineering. He was president of Gates Engineering Company for 35 years, providing engineering services worldwide. When he retired from Gates Engineering, his firm had offices in Beckley, Charleston, Pittsburg, Chicago, Denver and Sydney, Australia, with over 200 employees. He has been chairman of L.A. Gates Company since 1983. During his career, he served on many committees relating to different professional societies. He served as president of the National Society of Professional Engineers, president of the WV Chamber of Commerce, president of the WV Professional Engineers Board and president of the Beckley/Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce.
His professional awards include: 2002-Academy of Engineering Excellence, Virginia Tech; 2003-Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Achievement Award, Virginia Tech; 2005-Academy of Civil Engineers, West Virginia University. His community services and awards include: one of the original founders of Beckley Area Foundation, president of Forward Southern West Virginia, Spirit of Beckley recipient, instrumental in helping Beckley receive the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building, Elder of Beckley Presbyterian Church, active in Beckley Rotary Club, original member of the Flat Top Lake Association and on the advisory boards of borh West Virginia University and Virginia Tech.
Funeral service will be 2 p.m. today in the Beckley Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Adrian Pratt officiating. Entombment will follow in the Sunset Memorial Park Mausoleum, Beckley. Friends may call noon until the service time today at the curch. Family members will serve as pallbearers. The family requests that donations of sympathy be made to the Leslie C. Gates Family Endowment Fund, care of the Beckley Area Foundation, 129 Main Street, Suite 203, Beckley, WV 25801. The family would like to express their appreciation to all of Mr. Gates' caregivers at Raleigh General Hospital, Greystone Inn, and especially the Beckley Veterans Hospital. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.
Mr. Gates was a 1936 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School and a 1940 graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in Civil Engineering. He served in World War II as a major with the 300th Engineer Combat Battalion in Europe, participated in five battles and received the Purple Heart award.
He had a long and distinguished career in civil and mining engineering. He was president of Gates Engineering Company for 35 years, providing engineering services worldwide. When he retired from Gates Engineering, his firm had offices in Beckley, Charleston, Pittsburg, Chicago, Denver and Sydney, Australia, with over 200 employees. He has been chairman of L.A. Gates Company since 1983. During his career, he served on many committees relating to different professional societies. He served as president of the National Society of Professional Engineers, president of the WV Chamber of Commerce, president of the WV Professional Engineers Board and president of the Beckley/Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce.
His professional awards include: 2002-Academy of Engineering Excellence, Virginia Tech; 2003-Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Achievement Award, Virginia Tech; 2005-Academy of Civil Engineers, West Virginia University. His community services and awards include: one of the original founders of Beckley Area Foundation, president of Forward Southern West Virginia, Spirit of Beckley recipient, instrumental in helping Beckley receive the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building, Elder of Beckley Presbyterian Church, active in Beckley Rotary Club, original member of the Flat Top Lake Association and on the advisory boards of borh West Virginia University and Virginia Tech.
Funeral service will be 2 p.m. today in the Beckley Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Adrian Pratt officiating. Entombment will follow in the Sunset Memorial Park Mausoleum, Beckley. Friends may call noon until the service time today at the curch. Family members will serve as pallbearers. The family requests that donations of sympathy be made to the Leslie C. Gates Family Endowment Fund, care of the Beckley Area Foundation, 129 Main Street, Suite 203, Beckley, WV 25801. The family would like to express their appreciation to all of Mr. Gates' caregivers at Raleigh General Hospital, Greystone Inn, and especially the Beckley Veterans Hospital. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.
Leslie C. Gates of Beckley passed away Sunday following a short illness. He was 89 years of age. Born on Nov. 17, 1918, in Dorothy, he was the son of the late Lauren A. Gates and Caroline (Lillian) Sandburg Gates. He was also preceded in death by his first wife, Martha Rose Gates; and brothers, John Milton and Lauren A. (L.A.) Gates. Survivors include his wife, Anneva Covey Gates; a daughter, Ellen Elaine Gates Anderson and husband, Jim, of Beckley; and a son, L.A. Gates and wife, Lou, of Beckley; four grandchildren, Leslie Jane Anderson Martin and husband, Jim, of Charleston, Jay Anderson of Beckley, Jane Kelli Gates Turner and husband, Jake, of Denver, Colo., and Michael Brian Gates of Denver, Colo; four great grandchildren, Michael Garret Anderson, Caroline Rose Turner, Cadey Grace Turner and Tavin Gates Turner; step-grandchildren, Kellie Snyder and husband, Wade, Scott Riffe and wife, Angie, and Jon Riffe and wife, Kara, and by seven stepgreat-grandchildren; two stepsons, William C. Covey III of Gainesville, Fla., and Dr. Douglass F. Covey and wife, Renee Lilly Covey, of Duluth, Ga; two stepgrandchildren, Douglass F. Covey, Jr., and Megan Renee Covey. He is also survived by a sister-in-law, Ferna Shewsbury of Beckley.
Mr. Gates was a 1936 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School and a 1940 graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in Civil Engineering. He served in World War II as a major with the 300th Engineer Combat Battalion in Europe, participated in five battles and received the Purple Heart award.
He had a long and distinguished career in civil and mining engineering. He was president of Gates Engineering Company for 35 years, providing engineering services worldwide. When he retired from Gates Engineering, his firm had offices in Beckley, Charleston, Pittsburg, Chicago, Denver and Sydney, Australia, with over 200 employees. He has been chairman of L.A. Gates Company since 1983. During his career, he served on many committees relating to different professional societies. He served as president of the National Society of Professional Engineers, president of the WV Chamber of Commerce, president of the WV Professional Engineers Board and president of the Beckley/Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce.
His professional awards include: 2002-Academy of Engineering Excellence, Virginia Tech; 2003-Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Achievement Award, Virginia Tech; 2005-Academy of Civil Engineers, West Virginia University. His community services and awards include: one of the original founders of Beckley Area Foundation, president of Forward Southern West Virginia, Spirit of Beckley recipient, instrumental in helping Beckley receive the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building, Elder of Beckley Presbyterian Church, active in Beckley Rotary Club, original member of the Flat Top Lake Association and on the advisory boards of borh West Virginia University and Virginia Tech.
Funeral service will be 2 p.m. today in the Beckley Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Adrian Pratt officiating. Entombment will follow in the Sunset Memorial Park Mausoleum, Beckley. Friends may call noon until the service time today at the curch. Family members will serve as pallbearers. The family requests that donations of sympathy be made to the Leslie C. Gates Family Endowment Fund, care of the Beckley Area Foundation, 129 Main Street, Suite 203, Beckley, WV 25801. The family would like to express their appreciation to all of Mr. Gates' caregivers at Raleigh General Hospital, Greystone Inn, and especially the Beckley Veterans Hospital. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.
Mr. Gates was a 1936 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School and a 1940 graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in Civil Engineering. He served in World War II as a major with the 300th Engineer Combat Battalion in Europe, participated in five battles and received the Purple Heart award.
He had a long and distinguished career in civil and mining engineering. He was president of Gates Engineering Company for 35 years, providing engineering services worldwide. When he retired from Gates Engineering, his firm had offices in Beckley, Charleston, Pittsburg, Chicago, Denver and Sydney, Australia, with over 200 employees. He has been chairman of L.A. Gates Company since 1983. During his career, he served on many committees relating to different professional societies. He served as president of the National Society of Professional Engineers, president of the WV Chamber of Commerce, president of the WV Professional Engineers Board and president of the Beckley/Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce.
His professional awards include: 2002-Academy of Engineering Excellence, Virginia Tech; 2003-Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Achievement Award, Virginia Tech; 2005-Academy of Civil Engineers, West Virginia University. His community services and awards include: one of the original founders of Beckley Area Foundation, president of Forward Southern West Virginia, Spirit of Beckley recipient, instrumental in helping Beckley receive the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building, Elder of Beckley Presbyterian Church, active in Beckley Rotary Club, original member of the Flat Top Lake Association and on the advisory boards of borh West Virginia University and Virginia Tech.
Funeral service will be 2 p.m. today in the Beckley Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Adrian Pratt officiating. Entombment will follow in the Sunset Memorial Park Mausoleum, Beckley. Friends may call noon until the service time today at the curch. Family members will serve as pallbearers. The family requests that donations of sympathy be made to the Leslie C. Gates Family Endowment Fund, care of the Beckley Area Foundation, 129 Main Street, Suite 203, Beckley, WV 25801. The family would like to express their appreciation to all of Mr. Gates' caregivers at Raleigh General Hospital, Greystone Inn, and especially the Beckley Veterans Hospital. Arrangements by Melton Mortuary, Beckley.
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