Bette Berry Bates

Bette was born in Ottawa, IL on June 18, 1939 to Arthur and Mildred Berry, lived in Minneapolis, MN and Oakland, CA, and attended Oakland High School and Stanford University (‘BA and ‘MA, class of 1962). She studied Speech Pathology and Audiology, and worked for many years as an audiologist at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center. She met Jack Bates through the Palo Alto Ski Club and they married in 1976. Jack had three daughters from a prior marriage, and together Bette and Jack had one son, Robert (“RJ”) Bates.

Bette loved tennis and enjoyed many years of doubles with the Los Altos Tennis Club and USTA senior women’s teams. A fond tennis memory was competing at USTA Sectionals at Stanford in the inaugural year of her “Tennis Babes” seniors team with ladies who became lifelong friends. Bette and Jack hosted frequent social and charity events at their home, where friendly athletic competitions (tennis, ping pong, bocce ball and foosball) and laughter were always the focal points. She was a dedicated mother, serving in the Loyola Elementary PTA, as a Den Mother in Cub Scout “Pack 33”, team chauffeur to AYSO and YMCA sports events, and volunteer tennis coach at Blach Intermediate School. She is perhaps best remembered by RJ’s childhood friends for her delicious chocolate chip pancakes, which were a hallmark of weekend sleepovers.

Bette’s generous, kind, and fun-loving spirit will be deeply missed. She is predeceased by her husband, Jack, in 2022, and is survived by her son RJ (Chanel) and step-daughters Tera Duncan, Tracey (Larry Long), and Trina (Tom Boice), 13 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. Private services will be held at her Los Altos home in late May, with memorial and interment in SLC, UT to follow.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.beardsleymitchell.com for the Bates family.