Rutherford Nance Yeates Sr.

Rutherford “Rud” Nance Yeates of Mountain Brook passed away at the age of 97 on November 16, 2014, surrounded by his family. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama on October 18, 1917. He was a lifelong member of St. Mary’s-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church, where he served on the Vestry and many other volunteer positions over the years. He was a graduate of Lakeview Elementary, Ramsey High School, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

After college, he was hired by the Federal Reserve Bank as an Associate, where he worked in Richmond, VA and New York, NY. He enlisted with the Navy following the attack on Pearl Harbor. From 1941 to 1945, he served his country as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, flying ambulance planes in the Pacific Theater.

After the war, he worked as Senior Vice President with McKesson-Robbins in Birmingham until his retirement in 1972. He, like his father, served as the President of the American Surgical Trade Association. He was a member of the Birmingham Country Club, the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, The Club, and the Redstone Club. He was the founder of International Wines, Inc., guiding his sons in building one of finest wine import houses in the country. He was instrumental in changing many of Alabama’s anti-wine laws.

He will always be remembered for his passion and enthusiasm. He was generous, loyal, and was especially fond of cultivating friendships. He had an engaging sense of humor and was always a gentleman in every way. In his retirement he enjoyed brass and copper metal-work, tinkering in his tool room, riding horses, teaching his dogs new tricks, sailing, cooking & wine, and spending time with his children and grandchildren. He was devoted to his wife, and lived a very good life.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 69 years, Elizabeth “Prudy” Willis Yeates; his parents, Jesse France and Mary Seymour (“Dear”) Yeates; his brother and sister-in-law, Jesse France and Gertrude Yeates; his sister, Margaret Yeates and brother-in-law Maclin Smith; and his son, Rutherford Nance Yeates, Jr.. He is survived by his brother, John Seymour Yeates; his daughter, Elizabeth “Betsy” Yeates Coxe; his son, Charles Willis Yeates and daughter-in-law Betsy Yeates; his daughter-in-law, Alice Dawes Yeates; grandsons: Richard Badham Coxe Jr. (Fairlie), Willis Jesse Yeates, Rutherford Nance Yeates lll; and granddaughters: Elizabeth Coxe Hubbard (Alan) , Melissa Shaum Yeates and Whitley Yeates Brosnan (Daniel).

The Family would like to thank his devoted caregivers, Willow Dean Gunn, Linda Vines, Erica Dixon, Shirley Hicks, Tony Watkins, and Shannon Watkins.

In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to Gateway (www.gway.org/donate-now), or St. Mary’s-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church. A funeral service will be held at St. Mary’s-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church in Birmingham at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, November 20th, 2014, with a reception following at the Church.