William "Bill" Lee Bate

Bill was born September 12, 1937 to Lee and Eleanor Bate. He attended high school in Napoleon, Indiana and was baptized into the Christian faith at Zion United Methodist Church. He married Jo Ann Mozingo December 11, 1963. He was also a longstanding member of the New Point chapter of the Freemasons.

A former farmer, Bill retired from Printpack. He was an avid trap shooter and loved spending time with friends at the local Conservation Club. Bill loved cars and motorcycles, and he could fix anything with an engine. Bill never met a stranger, and he had a great sense of humor and could tell the best tales. He was devoted to his family.

Bill is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jo Ann Bate; three children, Billie Jo (Dave) Wager, Chris (Doris) Bate, Tina (Marc) Lippens; two sisters, Mary Marsh and Patricia (John) Clark; seven grandchildren, Logan and Dillon Wager, Jarrod and Sonya Bate, and Rebekah, Andrew, and Ashlyn Lippens; three honorary grandchildren, Becky Bredeweg, Hayley Riddle, and Audrey Warner; and one great-grandchild, Isaac Wager. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lee and Eleanor Bate.

A visitation for family and friends will be held at the Gilliland-Howe Funeral Home on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 from 10:00 am until the time of the Funeral at 12:00 pm. Please observe CDC guidelines. Rev. Harold Carter will be officiating. Burial will follow at the Union Baptist Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to Our Hospice of Southcentral Indiana or to the Wheeler Mission. Online condolences can be made to the family at www.gilliland-howe.com