Obituary of BATES – John Preston

July 10, 1960 – November 19, 2010 John Preston Bates, beloved husband of Valerie of Calgary, passed away on Friday, November 19, 2010 at the age of 50 years. John was born on July 10, 1960 in Prince George, BC. At the age of 19, in Calgary, he met the love of his life, Valerie, and the two were married on September 20, 1980, where they began their beautiful life together and brought five children into the world. Throughout his career, John worked for several small companies as a Network Analyst, before finding his dream job at Nexen Inc for the past twelve years. John was a very personable man, with great character and made many friends along the way. With his many talents and love of food, he spent the past few years building his outdoor kitchen and his famous ‘pizza oven’. He was best known for his woodworking, his culinary skills, and his gentle, loving heart, with a great passion for helping others and dedicated much of his time doing volunteer work for the Calgary Urban Project Society (CUPS). John continued his selflessness throughout the rest of his life as he fought his courageous battle with Lymphoma with his wife by his side every step of the way. In the early afternoon hours, John took his last breath with great comfort in his sleep. May his soul rest peacefully in eternity. Besides his loving wife Valerie, John is survived by his son John Jr; daughters and sons-in-law, Jennifer and John, Jaclyn and Rob, Amanda and Jason, and Ashley and Matt; and four grandchildren, Adrianna, April, Madison, and RJ. John is also survived by his younger brother Bill, sister-in-law Shirley and their two children. The family would like to express a heartfelt thank you toward the kind doctors who cared for John at both the Peter Lougheed Center and the Tom Baker Cancer Center during their very difficult journey. His family practitioner, Dr. Curtis and the doctors and staff at the Rosedale Hospice also went above and beyond to accommodate John and the family during his final days. A Celebration of John’s Life will be held at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY’S, Chapel of the Bells (2720 Centre Street North) on Friday, November 26, 2010 at 2:30 p.m. Condolences may be forwarded through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. If friends so desire, memorial tributes in John’s honour to the family are welcomed to John’s wife, Valerie, at CIBC, Country Hills, 517-388 Country Hills Boulevard Northeast Calgary, AB T3K 5J6, Telephone: (403) 226-7480. In living memory of John Bates, a tree will be planted at Big Hill Springs Park, Cochrane by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Chapel of the Bells, 2720 CENTRE STREET NORTH Telephone: (403) 276-2296.