Rick Gates, resident of rural Blackwell, died early July 18, 2013, after he was knocked down by a cow in a cattle pen at Creekstone Farms.

He was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Naval Hospital on December 31, 1955. His family lived there for two years and lived in rural Blackwell for the remainder of his life. He attended Union 61 school through the eighth grade and then graduated from Blackwell High School with the class of 1974. He then attended Northern Oklahoma College. From the time he could walk, he followed his grandpa, Phil Roberts, everywhere. His main goal in life always was to farm. He started driving semi-trucks as a way to pay for his farm habit. He drove for National Carriers, driving in 48 states and Canada where he earned three million miles safe driving award, he quit driving long-haul and came home to farm and help his family. He also hauled cattle leased to Butler. He was so happy that he had a wheat crop this year after all the drought years. He was teaching his nephew, Riley, about farming and told him that "next year he would be big enough to drive the combine and big tractor." He was a hard worker who would go out of his way to do anything to help somebody. He would give you the shirt off his back and his last dollar then borrow more if that wasn't enough. When somebody did not know how to do or fix something you knew to ask Rick because he could figure it out. He was loved and will be missed tremendously by his family and friends.

Rick is survived by his mother Phyllis Gregory and (step) father Frank, who he thought of as a father; one sister, Deonne Gates and her son, Riley Price; a brother, Darren Gates and his wife Jennifer and children, Bryce, Myles and Rylee; and his beloved rescue Maltese, Prissy.

He was preceded in death by his great grandparents, who made the land run to Kay County, grandparents, Phil and Bell Roberts; and grandmother, Alice Gregory.

Services have been scheduled for 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 24, 2013, at the Roberts and Son Funeral Home Chapel, Blackwell, Oklahoma, with Rev. Robert Montgomery officiating. Burial will follow at the Tonkawa IOOF Cemetery.

Casketbearers will be Frank Gregory, Ivan Reneau, Lyman Urban, Mark Gummow, Wade Dunagan and Dowd Jerome. Honorary casketbearers will be Dale Wooderson, Riley Price and J. C. Fath.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in his name have been established with the St. Jude's Children's Hospital and the Oklahoma Arthritis Association c/o Roberts and Son Funeral Home, 120 West Padon, Blackwell, Oklahoma 74631.