William Murrell Bates
May 14, 1936 ~ July 25, 2024
Born in:
Macon Co., NC
Resided in:
Leicester, NC
William Murrell Bates, 88, passed away on Thursday, July 25, 2024, at his residence.
A native of Macon Co., William was a son of the late Sam and Lassie Watts Bates. He was also preceded in death by his siblings, Robert Bates, Kenneth Bates, Shirley Calloway, Dean Bates, Agnes Brooks and Dorothy Stamey.
Mr. Bates proudly served his country in the U.S. Army. He later retired from Kearfott Corp. where he worked for many years as an engineer. He had been a member at Newfound Baptist Church and most recently at Bethel Baptist Church, serving as a Deacon at both. In his free time, he enjoyed fishing, gardening and spending time at the beach with his family.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara Scruggs Bates; daughter, Sherry Bates (Randy Huntley); granddaughter, Tiffany Burrell (David) and their son, Noah; grandson, Daniel Norton, and his children, Alec, Eli, and Amy; and sister, Delores Blanton.
The funeral service for Mr. Bates will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 28, 2024, at Groce Funeral Home on Patton Ave. Pastor Mark Lewis will officiate. Burial will follow at Ashelawn Gardens of Memory.
Services
Funeral Service: July 28, 2024 2:00 pm
Groce Funeral Home - Patton Ave.
1401 Patton Ave.
Asheville, NC 28806
(828)252-3535
http://www.grocefuneralhome.com
Burial: July 28, 2024 3:15 pm
Ashelawn Gardens of Memory
901 Aiken Road
Asheville, NC 28804
(828)645-6915
Sorry for your loss. Y’all are in my prayers. He will be missed dearly.
Sherry, we were so sorry to learn of your dad’s passing. We are thinking of you and your family and will pray for you all. Wishing you love and comfort in your memories of your dad.
Sherry
I am so sorry for your loss. Hold on to all the memories. If there is anything I can do please let me know. You and your family are in my prayers.
Sherry, so sorry to hear about the passing of your dad. Sharon and I are praying for you and Randy and your family during this difficult time. May God’s peace be with you.
Bill was a great man and always a pleasure to see and speak with. I always looked forward to receiving a card from him and Barbra at Christmas it made the spirit of the holiday feel truly alive. He was an example of what a good person could aspire to be.
It was our pleasure to know Bill. We were blessed to have his influence and presence in our lives no matter how brief. May your faith and love give you comfort.
Dear family,
We knew Barbara and Bill for years. When we first visited Newfound church,
they were sitting directly in front of us and Bill was the first to reach back his hand to extend
a welcome. A more faithful man of God you would be hard pressed to find. He
was always working in the “background” doing those things that needed to be done.
It was such a pleasure to have known Bill.. 💖