On Wednesday, April 10, 2019 we lost a good friend and a wonderful family member.
Ray MacDonald Gates was born June 29, 1939 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia to Kenneth and Roberta Gates along with two brothers, Alton and Larry. Later, Ray moved to eastern Ontario but was always very proud of his east coast heritage. He managed to get back twice to visit his mother before she passed away in 2018.
Ray came to Bergland in the 1980s where he helped build a house with his dad and stepmother, Wanda. It was then he met Inez Anderson (Mansfield) and after Ken and Wanda passed, Inez and Ray became good friends.
In 1988, Ray and Inez united in marriage and Ray’s house became their home.
A confirmed bachelor his whole life, he now had a instant family and became the official member of the Milne clan.
There was a son and eight daughters and their spouses, loads of grandchildren and great grandchildren.
He took his role of grandpa very seriously and thrived on all the attention he gave and received.
He had a love for gardening and he spent a great deal of time hauling dirt in his wheelbarrow and preparing his gardens. Once the garden was done he headed to the blueberry patch, which was his second love.
We hope there is a blueberry patch in heaven because a master picker is coming. We hope his pail will always be full and the angels like blueberry pie, and we are sure Ray will even have a few stories left to tell.
Ray was loved and appreciated and will be dearly missed and remembered by his friends and family.
A graveside service and date will be announced in July to be held at the Bergland Cemetery.
If desired memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society c/o Northridge Funeral Home, Box 89, Emo, ON P0W 1E0
RAY MacDONALD GATES
