The father of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Gates Sr. has died at the age of 94, the family announced on Tuesday. Gates Sr. was a prominent attorney at law and a person of great stature in the Seattle community.
“My dad’s passing was not unexpected. He was 94 years old and his health had been declining. So we have all had a long time to reflect on just how lucky we are to have had this amazing man in our lives for so many years,” wrote Gates about his dad on his personal page.
“The experience of being the son of Bill Gates was incredible. People used to ask my dad if he was the real Bill Gates. The truth is, he was everything I try to be. I will miss him every day,” Gates wrote.
Gates Snr. is a co-founder of one of the best law firms, Preston Gates & Ellis, which is now known as international law firm K&L Gates. Gates Sr. served as co-chairperson of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in recent times. He was also president of the state bar associations, and was an active member of several organizations including the Washington Mews Council, Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and United Way.
“The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would not be what it is today without my dad,” the younger Bill Gates wrote. “More than anyone else, he shaped the values of the foundation. He was collaborative, judicious, and serious about learning. He was dignified but hated anything that seemed pretentious.”
Gates Sr is the author of the book, “Showing up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime”
