William Gates

WILLIAM CLIFFORD GATES was born in Moreland, Georgia, on Friday, March 13, 1942, to the union of Christine Simmons Gates and Matthew Gates. He was raised by his grandparents, Rev. and Mrs. Simmons. At age thirteen, William moved to Columbus, Ohio, to live with his mother and stepfather, Beotis Crowder. He received his formal education from Columbus City Schools and was a proud graduate of East High School.

William’s first job was at Central Ohio Supply. He was later employed with Western Electric which became Lucent Technologies and is currently, Nokia. William retired as a computer programmer, with over thirty years of dedicated service.

In 1961, William met Miss Chericedar “Cherry” Philpott at the skating rink. Cherry’s girlfriend knew William and asked if he would give them a ride home. William continued to call on Cherry and they were united in holy matrimony January 5, 1962. The couple was blessed with five children: Micheal, Robin, Renee, Kimberly, and Jason.

William enjoyed spending time with his family. He loved sports. William watched and often played tennis with his daughter, Robin. He tried to teach his other children tennis, as well. William was also an avid football fan. His favorite team was the OSU Buckeyes, especially during the Woody Hayes era. There was a great family rivalry because Cherry was a Michigan fan.

Surrounded by his wife, family, and friends, William Clifford Gates entered eternal rest on Friday, October 14, 2022. He was blessed with eighty years of life. William was preceded in death by his mother, Christine (Beotis) Crowder; father, Matthew Gates; sister, Vivian Spencer; and brother, Chester Scales.

Loving memories are cherished by his wife of sixty years, Chericedar “Cherry” Gates; children, Micheal Gates, Robin (Lorenzo) Jefferson, Renee (Damon) Terry, Kimberly (Keith) Sykes, and Jason Gates; grandchildren, Danielle, Joshua, Moriah, Jeremiah, Nathan, Diamond, Tierra, Grant, Haley, and Benjamin; great grandchildren, Noah, Mattie, Judge, Michi, Eli, and Reign; sisters, Tina (Robert) Richardson, Glory Fair, Carole Butler, and Diane House; brother, Boetis Crowder and his companion, Barbara; a host of other family members and dear friends. William lived a good life and will be sadly missed. He leaves a legacy of wonderful memories.