Below is what I posted in the Paramus High School Class of 1964 website

www.phsclassof1964.com


Last month George Bates passed away.  While I don't recall having seen him since leaving high school, I have often thought about what became of him.   I know that he always wanted to work as a custodian at the high school and if that's what he wanted, I hope that wish came true for him.
 

He wasn't part of the rogue crowd I hung out with, nor was he a sports figure, and I don't recall him having ever been part of the "Goin upstate and stayin out late" crowd.  Despite all that, he is one of the most memorable people I went to high school with.  Oftentimes I hear names I don't recall and have to pull out my trusty Delphian to match a face with a name.  Not so with George, he always was and always will be unforgettable.


Almost 50 years later, I still can't explain why I obeyed George and only entered the cafeteria when he said it was OK.  He would stand at the entrance with his arm up blocking the entrance so the line didn't block people returning their dirty trays.  Did you forget that...how could you?

 
George was a gentle giant and a good man.  I'm sure he's up in heaven practicing crowd control.  If he's stationed at the gate, I suspect that I will have some real trouble getting in, not that I ever thought I was headed in that direction.

 
Below is a link to George's obit. Check out the photo gallery. It will give you a better sense of the George some of us didn't take the time to get to know.

I remember that as a child George's parents, my Aunt Jane and Uncle Eddie, along with my parents Anne and Phil, had dinner and played cards every Friday night.  Us kids got to watch TV or play cards amongst ourselves.  These are fond childhood memories and very vivid in my mind. God be with you George.

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OBITUARY

George N Bates

February 24, 1946 – August 31, 2011

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