 |
|
Editorial: Bill Bates With his high forehead head and serious demeanor, Bill Bates looked just like what he was for several years -- a high school English teacher. In a 2005 Manager’s column in the Harford Business Ledger, described himself as “terminally shy.” He overcame that and those who got to know him soon discovered this soft spoken, reserved man had a sense of humor, delivering deadpan an extremely dry bit of wit and then looking at you with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and a slight smile on his lips.
Over the year Bill Bates did free lance and contract writing and editing, served as editor of the Chamber’s newsletter, The Voice, and wrote articles for marketing sections in The Aegis. He probably will be best remembered for several books focusing on the history of Harford County through old photos. His books, released through Arcadia Publishing, included Images of America: Bel Air, Harford County in Vintage Postcards, Images of America: Havre de Grace, Harford Then & Now and Images of America: Aberdeen Proving Ground. When his book on Havre de Grace came out in 2006, Bates said, “My books have been a testament to the power of networking. Especially in smaller towns, such as Havre de Grace, I simply went to the people I knew and asked for contacts who have good photo collections or the scope of recent history. From there the word got out and I began to receive calls and emails from wonderful people who added immeasurably to the project.” After being diagnosed as having an inoperable brain tumor, Bates undertook a new regimen of treatment at Duke University’s Cancer Center. Through regular email postings, he kept acquaintances updated on his problems and progress and encouraged through his unflagging faith in family, friends and God. Unfortunately the remarkably good initial results did not continue, and he died on Jan. 28. His family, wife Mary Ellen, son Geoff and daughter Emily ask that memorial donations be made to the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University www.cancer.duke.edu.
Jack McLaughlin
|
||||||||
They also learned he had an intense passion for whatever he was doing. He was active with the Small Business Development Center at Harford Community College and the Liriodendron Foundation Board. He also worked in many capacities in the Harford County Chamber of Commerce and was named the organization’s Member of the Year in 2002. In 2004 he was the U. S. Small business Administration’s Small Business Home-based Advocate of the Year for Maryland.