Jeffrey Don Gates

5/20/1976 ~ 2/1/2018

Jeffrey Don Gates, 41, our dearest son, brother, uncle, and friend passed from this life February 1, 2018, surrounded by his family. He was born on May 20, 1976 to Harvey Dean Gates and Diana Lee Loock Gates. They lived in Escalante, Utah until he was two years old, then moved to Holden, Utah. At 11 months, he was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. Although the disease, with its inherent death sentence, controlled his life and the decisions he made, he was blessed to have twenty years before the illness began to systematically ravage his body.
As a boy, he loved the outdoors and, with his brothers, roamed the hills, mountains, and fields around Holden. That love continued his entire life and was one of his greatest sorrows when he was no longer able to drive into the hills to look at deer. He was a country boy in every sense. He dreaded leaving Millard County to go to the city for anything, especially healthcare. In his youth, he was active in little league sports—baseball, football, basketball, and high school wrestling where he placed third at State. He was an Eagle Scout. He is a 1995 graduate of Millard High School, then attended Snow College Richfield and trained as a Diesel Mechanic. He worked many jobs from St. George to Salt Lake, but his favorite was farming and ranching with the Stephenson Cattle Company for the past ten years. He fulfilled lifelong dreams of owning a race horse and tracking and bagging a cougar. He lived life to the fullest, always lived in the moment, making many friends, and touching many lives with his quick wit, great sense of humor, and tender heart under a rough exterior. He had so many talents and skills and could fix anything. He loved hunting, fishing, breeding and raising horses, mechanics, restoring old tractors, raking hay, and especially his dog, Bo.
Jeff was preceded in death by grandparents Bud J Gates, Carol Lee Simmons Loock, and Donald Albert Loock. He is survived by his parents, grandmother Joy Bailey Gates of Salt Lake City; brothers Michael Dean Gates (LaRay) and Shawn Bud Gates of Holden; sister-in-law Merrianne Gates of Beaver; six nieces and nephews: Kylee Brindley (Wyatt), Allyssa, Rachel, Jake, John, and Dan Gates.
Much love and appreciation go to the doctors, nurses, and staff at University of Utah Cystic Fibrosis Center who became his second family. Also, to Dr. Brown and staff at Fillmore Hospital.
Funeral services will be held at noon, Thursday, February 8, 2018, at the Holden Ward Chapel, 100 North 110 East, Holden. Viewings will be held Wednesday evening, from 6:00-8:00 PM and Thursday from 10-11:30 AM, at the church prior to the service. Interment to follow the funeral at the Holden Cemetery under the direction of Rasmussen Mortuary.