Fred Fred E. Gates

Frederic Eugene (“Fred”) Gates, 82, of Littleton, Colorado, is preceded in death by his mother, Ruth, father, Gerry, brother, Gerry, and wife, Cathy. He is survived by his daughter, Amy, son, Danny, son-in-law Neal, and granddaughters Gaby, Emily, Sydney, Maggie, Phoebe and Taylor. He is also survived by his brother-in-law John Houston, and sister-in-law Kathi Houston. Fred is also preceded in death by his longtime companion, Marilyn Knudsen, and is survived by her two sons, Eric and Andy, and grandsons.

Fred was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1935 and - following a period of service with the US Army – met and married his wife, Cathy. Together they drove from Iowa to Colorado in their new, 1965 “Candy Apple Red” Mustang, which sparked in Fred a life-long obsession with Ford Mustangs. (His passion is carried-on by his son’s equal devotion to all things Mustang.)

After Fred’s daughter, Amy, was born, the family lived for a few years in West Germany, and later returned to Colorado following the birth of his son, Danny. After Cathy’s death, Fred became a widower and single father at a relatively young age. Despite his grief, Fred selflessly showed unconditional support of – and belief in – his children’s dreams, wherever those dreams took them. He instilled in his kids a life-philosophy of respect for tradition and spirituality balanced by an understanding that life is not all black-and-white, but often filled with gray.

He enjoyed a wonderful 27 years of marriage with Cathy. After her early death, he was lucky to find a soul mate from Nebraska named Marilyn Knudsen, with whom he enjoyed over 20 years of traveling, fishing, and casino hopping. Much of their time was spent visiting their respective children and grandchildren, and as a result both became grandparents to all.

What is most loved about Fred is his authenticity, his keen sense of humor, and his devotion to those he held close. His granddaughters in particular found comfort and joy in Fred’s genuine nature.

His life was marked by a love for Colorado and a passion for the Native American culture. Fred was vindicated in 2017 when a long-held belief that he was partly Native American was confirmed by a 23-and-Me DNA test, showing 1.5% Native American ancestry.

Mass will be held at St. Mary’s in Littleton on Wednesday July 5th 2017 at 2PM. There will be a private burial in Littleton Cemetery immediately following the mass, and a reception at his home (4PM) for all who’d like to celebrate his life. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to either ST. JOSEPH’S INDIAN SCHOOL (PO Box 100, Chamberlain, SD, 57325) or AIDS SUPPORT GROUP OF CAPE COD (PO Box 1522, Provincetown, MA 02657).