In loving memory of Lawrence William Bates

Lawrence William Bates, beloved father, grandfather and husband, went home to be with the Lord on the 12th of November of 2025, at age 82 in Vancouver, Washington. Lawrence was born, along with his fraternal twin Harold, on the 22nd of November 1942 in Waterloo, Iowa, to Roy Bates and Florence Bates. His parents, and brother preceded him in death.

Lawrence served in the US Navy as an engineman from the 28th of November 1961 to the 24th of November 1963, and then in the Naval Reserve until the 1st of April 1966. He worked for two years at the paperpĺmill in Florence Oregon from 1966 to 1968, and then as a machinist for the Papermill in Wauna Oregon from 1968-2003.

Lawrence loved the outdoors, and often involved the family in hunting, camping, shooting sports, and sometimes, exploring that next logging road just to see what was around the next bend. He was a hard worker, persistent, quiet, helpful and generous. He was devoted to family, God, and his church, where he was a deacon. He volunteered his time with youth, teaching hunter’s safety, cub scouts, various church activities, once organizing a camping trip with the church youth group. He had a unique sense of humor and on occasion, was known to play jokes on his co-workers, one classic example being when he shortened a coworker’s lunch stool a little bit each day, just to see when the coworker noticed.

Lawrence is survived by his wife, Cheryl, and her children, Rachel Deyott, and Mark Walling, and her grandchildren, his children, Larry Bates, Amanda Bates Kelley, and Sarah Bates, his grandchildren Hanna, Dante, Misty, Contessa, Liam and great-grandchild Oliver. He is also remembered fondly by his former wife, Connie, with whom he shared his three children.

A celebration of life will be held on November 29th, 2 PM at Westport Community Church with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Save The Children in Lawrence’s memory at https://everloved.com/life-of…

The service will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/aman…

Also, there will be a Willamette National Cemetery memorial ceremony, date to be determined.

Lawrence Bates lived a life marked by devotion —to his family, to his work, to his church, and above all to his Lord. From his beginnings in Waterloo, Iowa, as one of a pair of fraternal twins, to his final days in Vancouver, Washington, Lawrence carried with him a spirit of quiet strength and fidelity. His years of service in the United States Navy shaped the discipline and diligence that would define his working life, whether in the engine room of a ship or behind the machines of the mills where he labored for decades with unwavering commitment.

Yet it was outside, under open skies and among the forests and roads of the Pacific Northwest, that Lawrence found some of his greatest joy. He shared the wonder of the outdoors with his family—teaching them to hunt, camp, explore, and appreciate God’s creation. He had a way of turning an ordinary weekend into an adventure, following a winding logging road simply to discover where it led.

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