As some of you know, I recently lost my own mom to Alzheimer’s disease, so was particularly saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Gates Sr. - due to Alzheimer’s - at his Hood Canal beach home. He was an honorary member of Seattle #4, and a frequent attendee to our Wednesday meetings when his schedule permitted, up until the last few years of his life.
William Henry Gates II was born in 1925. He transcended his humble origins, growing up in the Navy town of Bremerton, Washington, the son of a furniture store worker. After his high school graduation in 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to Japan shortly after its surrender in World War II.
William Henry Gates II was born in 1925. He transcended his humble origins, growing up in the Navy town of Bremerton, Washington, the son of a furniture store worker. After his high school graduation in 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to Japan shortly after its surrender in World War II.
Gates Sr. earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in 1949 and a law degree from the UW the next year. He was devoted to the public university, eventually serving on its board of regents for 15 years and helping lead fundraising efforts.
Gates was a prominent Seattle attorney and the founding partner of one of the region’s best-known law firms, as well as a leading figure in civic and social causes. But it was his son’s revolutionary success with Microsoft that made the name “Bill Gates” know the world over. And it launched an entirely different path for Gates Sr. when he was nearly 70. Simply amazing.
His son shared just how key Gates Sr. - in his classically humble way - was in helping Bill and Melinda shape their perspective towards philanthropy. Bill recently wrote:
Gates was a prominent Seattle attorney and the founding partner of one of the region’s best-known law firms, as well as a leading figure in civic and social causes. But it was his son’s revolutionary success with Microsoft that made the name “Bill Gates” know the world over. And it launched an entirely different path for Gates Sr. when he was nearly 70. Simply amazing.
His son shared just how key Gates Sr. - in his classically humble way - was in helping Bill and Melinda shape their perspective towards philanthropy. Bill recently wrote:
My dad’s influence on our philanthropy was just as big. Throughout my childhood, he and my mom taught me by example what generosity looked like and how they used their time and resources. One night in the 1990s, before we started our foundation, Melinda, Dad, and I were standing in line at the movies. Melinda and I were talking about how we had been getting more requests for donations in the mail. Dad simply said, “Maybe I can help.”
Shortly after he became one of the guiding forces behind the William H. Gates Foundation — which later became the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, after his son and daughter-in-law. It is one of the largest private foundations in the world, and has taken a leading role in addressing some of the planet’s biggest challenges, including reducing infant mortality, stamping out polio, and finding an AIDS vaccine.
He was quick to recognize the important role that Rotarians have played in helping to improve the lives of people across the globe, and – as one example - their foundation awarded the 2002 Gates Award for Global Health to Rotary International. Gates Sr. said:
"The Rotary Foundation is truly deserving of recognition for its exemplary achievements in the field of global health. Rotary volunteers do tremendous work. We should never take for granted the generosity of the many people who contribute their time and resources to make a difference in the lives of children and families in developing and developed nations."
In his 2009 book, “Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a Lifetime,” Gates Sr. describes the challenge of giving advice to college graduates. “Every time I am preparing to give a commencement address I go around for weeks asking myself and anyone else who will listen, ‘What’s most important for the graduates to hear about what matters in life?’”
His answer: Family, friends, and public service, in that order.Written by Jeff Borek
