Jonathan Joseph Bates

On December 30, 2021, we lost the man we loved as a husband, a son, a brother, a father and a friend. Jonathan “Jon” Bates passed away suddenly; the devastating result of complications due to COVID-19 at the age of 48.

Jon was born on March 4, 1973, in New Britain, CT, the second son of the late Gerald D. Bates and the late Judith (Walasiewicz) Bates. He is survived by his sister, Jennifer Bates, and several nieces and nephews and was the younger brother of the late Gerald D. Bates, Jr. He is also survived by members of the Salomone family, Nicola and Vittoria Salomone of Watertown, CT, Jeremy Gerrish and Maria Salomone of Torrington, CT, and Brian, Angela, Viviana and Gabriella Barbieri of Watertown, CT. A graduate of New Britain High School (1991) and Central Connecticut State University (2000), Jon was born and raised in New Britain, CT, then making Southington, CT his home in 2004.

Nicole Salomone-Bates of Southington, CT loved Jon for twenty-four years and is the mother of his son, Jonathan Joseph “J.J.” Bates, Jr. Always a kid at heart, Jon shared a special bond with his son, J.J., whom he loved with an ardent affection from the very moment he first held him in his arms. They made many special memories sharing Jon’s love of art, baseball, camping, fishing, football, eating pizza and cucumbers, visiting the ducks, grilling a steak together, watching movies and engaging in endless tickle fights.

Mornings were the happiest time of day for them waking up and watching cartoons together before heading out for the day. Whether J.J. called Jon, who was his Da-doo, from his crib or ran to his room, Jon loved waking up to see J.J. each morning. It is fitting that Jon also shared with J.J. his love of sunsets. He was always photographing them, fascinated by their color, beauty and grandeur; always saying that it was art that anyone, no matter who they were, could see each and every day. Although the sun set one final time for him, his memory lives on with all of those beautiful colors. We are both broken-hearted to have lost him.

“A month of nights, a year of days; I set my sail when the tide comes in and I just cast my fate to the wind.”

— Music by Vince Guaraldi and Lyrics by Carel Werber