John Walter Gates was born February 11, 1929, in Green Turtle Cay, Abaco to Carl Adolph Gates (1909-1981) and Inez Louise Lowe (1910-1969).
Her siblings included…
- Laddie Curtis (1932)
- Alice Maude (1935)
- Lambert Carl (1938)
On December 17, 1948, in Grand Bahama, John married Thelma Belle Collins (1930-2019) from Nassau, New Providence. She is the daughter of Anthony Roy Collins (1904-1989) and Olive Belle Albury (1910-1966). The couple separated around 1950.
Their children included…
- Valerie
John later married Pamela V Donna from London, England.
Their children included…
- Athena
- John Walter Jr.
John later married Brenda Victoria Kelly (1945-2000) from New York City, New York.
Their children included…
- Jeremy
John was a master mariner and Nassau’s top Harbour Pilot. He was the only mariner that new Morse Code during his tenure. He owned a 68′ power cruiser called Island Nomad.
Alton R. Lowe recalls..
John studied at a university in Canada. After graduation, R. J. Reynolds hired him to captain The Aries, the largest sailing yacht in the world at that time. His travels carried John all over the world. This particular photo was taken in France. In John’s later years, he became a Harbour Pilot in Nassau. John also had his own aircraft and would fly to Abaco to see my father frequently.
John Walter Gates passed away August 4, 1984 (age 55) in Nassau, New Providence and is buried at the Ebenezer Methodist Church Cemetery. He is my 3rd cousin 1 time removed.
Front Row – (L) Alice Maude Gates (1935-2007) and (R) Lambert Carl Gates (1938-1990)
Photo credit: Valerie G Hollings
Photo credit: Valerie G Hollings
Photo credit: Mandy Gates Roberts
Photo credit: Jeremy Gates
Photo credit: Dorothea Hall
Photo courtesy of The Albert Lowe Museum
Related Posts
Expedition to Paradise
The unexpected is often more enjoyable than the planned course. Several months ago while working on a project unrelated to family history, I stumbled across the following article published in Raleigh, North Carolina's News and Observer in June 1886. The location of Green Turtle Cay caught my attention. A Scientific Expedition INVESTIGATIONS…
LOWE, Iva Alice (1935-2018)
On the Abaconian settlement of Green Turtle Cay, William Albert Lowe anxiously awaited while his wife Annie Estelle Curry gave birth to their red-headed daughter Iva Alice. Iva recounted that her mother Annie lost her first child, a boy. Albert and Annie were blessed with four surviving children: Vertrum, Iva, Alton…
CASH, Allan Leo (1942-1992)
Allan Leo Cash was born on August 17, 1942, in Green Turtle Cay, Abaco to Clarence Leo Cash (1917-1990) and Merriel Mabel Roberts (1925-2017). His siblings included... Joan Linda Viola Elsie Caroline Wade Livingstone Allan Leo Cash passed away on June 12, 1992 (age 49). Photo courtesy of Naomi Joan…
4 Replies to “GATES, John Walter (1929-1984)”