By Ruth Bayang
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
SEATTLE — William H. Gates II, a lawyer and philanthropist best known as the father of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, has died at 94. Gates died peacefully on Sept. 14 at his beach home in Washington state from Alzheimer’s disease, surrounded by his family.
Bill Gates Sr. with wife Mimi Gardner Gates
“My dad’s wisdom, generosity, empathy, and humility had a huge influence on people around the world,” Bill Gates wrote in a tribute.
Connie Proctor knew Gates Sr. for 42 years and considered him a mentor and friend. “My heart is heavy on learning of Bill’s passing. He held a special place in my heart,” she told the Northwest Asian Weekly. “I was privileged to know and work with Bill in many roles—as an associate and partner in our law firm, as a member of the Board of United Way of King County and for 12 years, we served together as Regents of the University of Washington.
Proctor added, “He provided support and encouragement to me and others in our (law) firm. He reminded us of the privilege we had in practicing law and the civic and charitable responsibilities that emanated from that privilege.”
Former Washington first lady Mona Locke echoed Proctor’s sentiments.
“Words cannot express what Bill Sr. meant to our community, city, and state. I will always think fondly of the time he and Mimi Gates came to Olympia to have dinner with Gary (Locke) and me. We had a great time talking and they stayed so late that we jokingly always blamed them for going into labor with our first daughter, Emily, just five hours after they left the Governor’s Mansion.”
Born in 1925, Gates Sr. grew up in Bremerton, where his parents owned a furniture store. He joined the Army following his freshman year at the University of Washington (UW) and was en route to Japan when it surrendered in 1945.
He served a year in war-torn Tokyo before returning to the United States and resuming his education, his family said. After earning his law degree in 1950, he began working in private practice and as a part-time Bremerton city attorney.
Gates Sr. formed a Seattle law firm with two other partners that eventually became Preston Gates and Ellis—now known as K&L Gates, one of the world’s largest law firms. “He was a giant in the legal community,” said former Gov. Gary Locke. He made his greater impact in his later years, helping create and oversee the Gates Foundation. I remember being on a bus with him as part of a campaign tour. All he talked about was what we needed to do to emphasize and strengthen our colleges and universities in the state of Washington. He was a champion…. He was so dedicated to education.”
Gates retired from law in 1998 and took on prominent roles with the Gates Foundation, helping launch its work in global health.
Gates Jr. wrote in the tribute, “The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would not be what it is today without my dad. More than anyone else, he shaped the values of the foundation. He was collaborative, judicious, and serious about learning.” He added, “When I am at my best, I know it is because of what I learned from my dad about respecting women, honoring individuality, and guiding children’s choices with love and respect.”
“He was kind, generous and fully engaged—always ready to go above and beyond to make the Pacific Northwest and the world a better place,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal in a statement. “It was my honor to have had the opportunity to witness his big heart and generosity firsthand when I worked with him on a statewide ballot initiative that he was leading, which would have levied a tax on Washington’s richest residents and put that money towards education and health care services.”
Gates Sr. met his first wife, Mary Maxwell, at the UW. They had two daughters and a son—Gates Jr.—and remained married until her death in 1994. Two years later, he married Mimi Gardner, then the director of the Seattle Art Museum, with whom he spent the last quarter-century of his life.
Gates Sr. was a towering figure by reputation and in person—he stood 6-foot-7 tall—and his counsel was often sought. Former Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz has said that when he was struggling to raise the money to buy the six-store coffee chain in 1987, Gates Sr. stepped in to rescue him from a rival buyer—not only by investing, but by personally taking Schultz to visit the rival, demanding as he loomed over the rival’s desk: “You are going to stand down and this kid is going to realize his dream. Do you understand me?”
“Bill Sr. was a remarkable person whose kindness and focus on others will be remembered by so many,” said former Seattle City Councilmember Martha Choe. “He was the heart and soul of the Gates Foundation, keeping everyone grounded in the mission to help all people live a healthy and productive life.”
Constance Rice of the UW Board of Regents said she remembers Gates Sr. as the grandfather of diversity and inclusion. He and founding CEO of the Gates Foundation Patty Stonesifer “always sought to improve the lives of the poor, forgotten and in health crises,” said Rice. “Many of us remember the establishment of the Gates Millennium Scholars program (at the UW) dedicated to funding individually young ethnic minority scholars for undergraduate to postgraduate studies… We will miss this giant of social activism.”
Gates also served as the president of the state and local bar associations and in the leadership of the American Bar Association, helping create diversity scholarships and promoting legal services for the poor.
Former Seattle Mayor Norman Rice said Gates Sr. brought a “caring capacity and a sense of making our lives better. Education, cultural diversity, and social responsibility were critical pillars for making our region a pillar of economic opportunity, environmental stewardship, and social justice … his commitment was real and strong.”
The family said that due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, a memorial service would be held later.
Ruth can be reached at editor@nwasianweekly.com