Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 31, 2012 in St. John Baptist Church, 2301 N.W. 14th Ave., with the Rev. Tiller Watson III officiating. Burial will be in Llano Cemetery. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2800 Paramount Blvd.

Mr. Bates was born Oct. 10, 1955, in Plainview to Robert and Mattie Bates. He worked at Gene Messer Cadillac and was a member of Mount Zion Baptist Church. Mr. Bates has the biggest heart and would give everything he had to those in need.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bates.

Survivors include six brothers, James Bates of Oklahoma, Billy Bates of Alaska, Charles Bates and wife Sarah of Arlington, Kenneth Bates and Jerry Bates, both of Amarillo, Ronnie Bates of Dallas and Robert Bates Jr., of Kansas City, Mo.; seven sisters, Patricia Bates-Ramirez and husband Johnny of Lubbock, Janice Bates-Holmes of Dallas, Deborah Bates of Austin, Gloria Bates and Thelma Bates, both of Amarillo and Lynn Bates and Barbara Bates, both of Kansas; best friends, Preston Kates and James Davis, both of Amarillo; 13 nieces; 13 nephews; and other relatives and friends.