John David Gates, 41, born December 12,1982 in Chillicothe, MO; currently of Lawrence, KS; died Friday January 12, 2024, in the presence of his wife and family in the compassionate care of KU Medical Center.
John began his education at St. John’s in Lawrence Kansas, and was formally raised in Edgerton Missouri, where he donned his first uniform as a Cub Scout. He later put on the altar-boy vestments and served mass without fail alongside his sister at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Smithville, MO. John graduated from North Platte in the class of 2001, having already chosen his next endeavor. Following in the footsteps of his Grandpa Quigley, he enlisted in yet another uniformed service and departed for the Naval Recruit Training Center at Great Lakes, IL. Over the course of 6 years, John was stationed along the East, West, and Gulf Coasts, most notably in Charleston, SC, Pensacola, FL, and Virginia Beach, VA; and sailed two major cruises during the Iraq War on the carriers USS John F. Kennedy and USS Abraham Lincoln.
After discharge he decided to complete the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design at KU. During that time, he met his beloved and soon-to-be wife, Yi. After they graduated in 2013, John and Yi moved to Beijing China and were wed May 20, 2014. Upon returning to Lawrence in 2016, they started their family and John became the proud Baba to a new generation of Gateses: Mya, Henry, and Julian.
He was employed by Fashion Inc. in Ottawa, KS where he got to practice his craft in industrial design.
John is preceded in death by his Grandma Gates (Kathryn Gates 2023); Grandma and Grandpa Quigley (Connie and Eugene Quigley 2016/1993).
John leaves behind his beloved wife Yi, three children Mya, Henry, and Julian; his parents David and Constance Gates; siblings Amanda Parkhill and Whitney Zoubek; Robert Gates, grandfather, 7 aunts and uncles, 7 cousins, and 5 nieces and nephews; as well as many other relatives and friends around the globe.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, February 26th at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street Lawrence, KS; followed by inurnment at Oak Hill Cemetery, 1605 Oak Hill Avenue, Lawrence, KS. Please consider donations supporting any of the following organizations: your local American Legion, AMVETS, Habitat for Humanity, and the Lawrence Humane Society.
