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Terrill Gates Obituary

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Terrill Gates

Enfield, CT

September 11, 1965 - October 25, 2014

Terrill Gates Obituary

Terrill Gates, 49, of Enfield, cherished husband of Lori (Scott) Gates and devoted Daddy to Madison, Spencer, and Sean, passed away Saturday (Oct. 25, 2014) after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born Sept. 11, 1965 in Rockville, son of the late Wendell S. Gates and Donna (Smith) Gates, and grew up in Hartford, graduating from South Catholic High School in 1983. Terrill felt from a very young age that he should serve his country as his father, uncles, and grandfathers had before him, and at age seventeen convinced his parents to sign the paperwork for early enlistment in the U.S. Army. He served in various units as both active duty and reserve status, at one time holding an officer’s commission, and ultimately rising through the ranks of an enlisted soldier before retiring after 24 years of service at the rank of First Sergeant of the 226th Transportation Railway Operation Company out of Chicopee, MA in Sept. 2011. Terrill worked tirelessly to ensure the safety and training of “his” soldiers, and his proudest moments were when they achieved the goals they had set for themselves; as their First Sergeant, he set an example for them to follow of honesty, integrity, hard work, and morality. While he received many awards and commendations during his career (choosing not to wear every ribbon he received, much to his wife’s chagrin), he was proudest earning his jump wings during his time with the 82nd Airborne Division. Terrill was employed by Retina Consultants in Hartford as a Retinal Angiographer since Jan. 2001, a job he loved, as he was able to use his skills to help others while still educating himself on a daily basis. A lover of history, Terrill couldn’t read enough about our country’s involvement in every war; off the top of his head, he could tell you what planes, ships, tanks, etc. were used in each battle and why they did or did not work as planned, and he was constantly in search of more knowledge of our country’s beginnings. A fan of “rubber monster movies” (thank you Albert), Terrill would alternate between the History Channel and the Science Fiction Channel until his remote control privileges were revoked. In the end, Terrill claimed his greatest achievement in life was his three beautiful children, who will miss him terribly. In addition to his wife and kids, Terrill is survived by his siblings, Wendell “Jay” (Ruby) Gates, Brenden (Jo-Ann) Gates, and Deirdre (Alan) Cimiano, as well as his loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless friends. His existence left an impact on everyone he touched; his absence will be felt by all. A memorial service will be held Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014 with visitation from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Browne Memorial Funeral Chapel, 43 Shaker Rd., Enfield, with a service and full military honors at 3 p.m. A reception will follow the service at American Legion Post 80 from 4-6 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to his children at People’s United Bank (attn: Jody Benton), 49 Hazard Ave., Enfield, CT 06082 (please make check payable to Lori Gates and in memo portion indicate “FBO Gates Children”). “Say not in grief ‘he is no more’- but live in happiness that he was”.

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Events

Event information can be found on the Official Obituary of Terrill Gates.