Jeannette P. Gates

She was preceded in death by her brother, Joe Patterson.

Jeannette is survived by her sisters, Faye Rene Shetter, Ruth Norris, and Rebecca Leu. She also leaves behind her children, Robert Gates, Jr. (wife Raquel), Wanda Rudzki (husband John), and Calvin Gates (wife Belinda); seven grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. She will also be missed by friends and neighbors who have known her for many, many years.

She graduated from Texas City High School and attended classes, through work, at The University of Texas at San Antonio. She moved to Austin in 1965 and worked at Austin Laundry as a bookkeeper. As her skills grew she worked at several companies doing bookkeeping and accounting. She worked for McCaw Communications/Cellular One, which became AT&T Cellular, as a payroll specialist. There, she was selected to be part of a team that trained payroll clerks in the southwest region to do payroll and benefits using computers for the first time. She was highly awarded (Circle of Excellence several times) and greatly appreciated and respected as a professional.

She liked to travel with her sisters and friends. She had a great love of music, and oh, how she loved to dance! She said she would as soon waltz as breathe. She was so very smart and had a quick, dry wit.

She was a devoted mother, sister, and friend, always there for those that needed her. We will miss her so, but she will always be in our hearts.