John Carl Bates

Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, John was a Billings resident for over 30 years. He is survived by his brothers, Bruce (Margaret) and James (Sandra); and niece Julia.

The oldest of three boys, John was born in Cooperstown, New York, on Oct. 16, 1946, to Donald and Mildred Bates, both Minnesota natives. In 1951, the family moved to St. Paul, where John grew up and attended Murray High School. John was an exceptional hockey goaltender and in 1964 was honored as the best in Minnesota, later becoming a proud member of the University of Minnesota hockey team. A talented guitarist and singer, he was for a time part of a folk group that called itself The Peanut Butter Conspiracy until they found the name was already taken!

John had a long and successful career as a property and casualty insurance adjuster in several states. An enthusiastic hunter and expert fly fisherman, when the chance to take a position in Billings arose in the late 1980s, he didn’t hesitate. After his retirement, he was often called on by attorneys as an expert litigation consultant, which took valuable time from his outdoor pursuits.

He developed many friendships in the area and hunted and fished extensively in Montana and British Columbia, with many fly fishing adventures in far-flung places around the world. Among his most treasured times were the annual family deer hunts near Lutsen, Minnesota, where a tradition had been established in 1951.

Conversations with John were rarely short, given his encyclopedic knowledge of facts both crucial and trivial, and his willingness to share it. A simple question could lead to stories, related or not, usually but not always leading back to the question at hand. Hearing any popular song from many decades past, he could give the year, artist or group name, and lyrics — especially for one-hit wonders. Recently, he whiled away time on his deer stand by recalling tunes and all verses of commercial jingles from the 1950s and ’60s for breakfast cereals, toothpaste, cigarettes and other items.

A longtime fishing companion describes John as “fussy, crabby, honest, faithful, extremely particular in his preparation, having a voluminous knowledge of the details of every item he used in pursuit of his prey, with a dry wit that lit up gab sessions over the years with his 30 or 40 fishing buddies.” Sounds like John, indeed. All who knew him would also agree that John cared deeply for his friends and family, actively looked for ways to help them, and never failed to express his gratitude for the kindnesses of others.

Words can’t express the family’s gratitude to everyone at Westpark Village, where John resided in his last year, and to RiverStone Hospice. John’s longtime friends and hunting/fishing companions Barry Selle and Gordon Cox would resist being mentioned here, but they were rocks of support for John and his family during some very difficult times. Special thanks also to John’s neighbor Jason Mueller for his friendship and help to John.

A service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at Westpark Village, 2351 Solomon Ave., in Billings. In lieu of flowers, donations to Trout Unlimited or The International Myeloma Foundation would be appreciated.