John M. Cates

John was born on June 19, 1942 in Detroit, MI to John and Helen (Dryden) Cates. John was also the proud and protective brother of his sister, Pamela, born six years later. One of his earliest memories was viewing the V-J celebrations marking the end of World War II.

After attending parochial school in Huntington Woods, he attended the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy in Detroit. During his studies at St. Joseph College in Rensselaer, IN he honed his writing skills by serving as the editor of the school newspaper. Following graduation, he returned to the Detroit area, where he began his career as a reporter for Automotive News. He married Judith Andersen in 1965, and together they had four children: Amy, Heather, John, Jr and Jason.

Finding that a reporter's salary didn't really support a family of six, John moved his family to St. Joseph, MI where he worked for Heath Company, writing and producing catalogs for the company's craft kits. He was then hired by Coachmen RV in Elkhart, IN where he managed its public relations program, producing press releases, newspaper and magazine articles, speeches, promotional materials, and representing the company at trade shows.

Juhl and Company in Elkhart was John's next stop, where he managed public relations activities for numerous national clients. One of his clients, Edward Lowe Industries, hired him to manage its public relations program, and John made the move to Chicago.

John later opened his own firm, Cates Public Relations, in Chicago in 1989; clients included John Deere Company, Energy Absorption and McDonald's. After completing his MBA, John found a second career teaching marketing and business writing at Purdue Northwest University.

While in Chicago, he met his second wife, Lorraine (Lorry Connors), and they married in 1991. They eventually moved to Michigan City, IN to be closer to family in both Illinois and Michigan, and spent 24 wonderful years living by Lake Michigan and enjoying the company of their children, and eventually six grandchildren and one great-grandson. John relished being in nature, and was always delighted to watch the wildlife from their home in the woods. John and Lorry spent time socializing with friends, traveling and simply enjoying each other's company.

An athlete in high school and college, John loved to ski and golf and was an avid sports fan. While a true son of Detroit, he managed to find a way to cheer for the White Sox, Bears, Blackhawks and Bulls along with the Tigers, Red Wings, Lions and Pistons; he only ran into difficulty when one of his teams played the other. He was a master chef on the grill, a lover of jazz, and an excellent dancer. He was also intelligent, kind, optimistic and the possessor of a very dry sense of humor. You couldn't spend much time in John's presence without laughing at one of his stories or tall tales from his childhood. John was also a true dog lover, and spent much of his life in their company, ending with the recent passing of Beau, "the best dog ever." He was a true friend to many, offering encouragement and wisdom when needed. He was never impressed by what people owned but more by who they were, and the positive impact they made on the world.

John dearly loved his children and was proud of all their accomplishments. His grandchildren and great-grandson were a delight to him, and he savored the time he spent with each of them. He was deeply loved and will be terribly missed.

John is survived by his wife, Lorry; his daughters Amy (Matt) Tanner and Heather (Jeff) Schonberg; his sons John, Jr (Colleen) and Jason. He is also survived by grandchildren Kelly and Michael Kropp; Harry (Alex) and Marshall Carter; Jessie Cates and John Cates, III and by great-grandson Miles Carter.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Doctors Without Borders, 40 Rector Street, 16th Fl, New York, NY 10006 or Partners in Health, 800 Boylston Street, Suite 300, Boston, MA 02199.