Thomas B. Yates

He was born September 17, 1944, in Iredell County and was the son of the late Charlie Lee and Helen Jane White Yates. In April, he retired as a Technical Services Manager from Best Sweets, Inc. in Mooresville. His co-workers considered him a great friend that will be dearly missed. He was beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend and co-worker. He cherished his grandchildren who bright him much joy and happiness.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers, David, Charlie, and James Yates.

Tommy is survived by his wife, Gloria Miller Yates, whom he married on September 3, 1965; two daughters, April Yates and her husband, Tim Hager, of Beaufort, SC, and Krista Riddle and her husband, Kenneth, of Statesville; two grandchildren, Ian and Salem Riddle both of Statesville; a brother, Ralph A. Yates of Statesville; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services celebrating Tommy’s life will be held at 2:00 PM Sunday, July 10, 2011, in the Westmoreland Chapel of Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home with the Rev. Roy Pierce officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 7:00 to 8:30 PM Saturday at Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home and at other times will assemble at the home of the daughter, Krista Riddle, 151 Shiloh Road, Statesville.

Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.bunchjohnsonfuneralhome.com.

For those who prefer, memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Iredell County, P.O. Box 1617, Statesville, NC 28687; or to the Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256.

Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home is entrusted with the arrangements.