Alexander (Alex) Heller Gates who was living in Portland, Oregon was a gifted young man who left us much too soon. Alex was born and raised in Memphis and Collierville, Tennessee. He was a 2008 graduate of Briarcrest High School where he played soccer, was a member of the trap team, sang in the chorus, played the piano and graduated as a National Merit Scholar. He attended Mississippi State University and Portland State University. He was a kind hearted gentle spirit with a vast empathy for others. Being an avid cyclist allowed him to revel in the hills of Portland and the surrounding area. He continued his love of music and taught himself to play the accordion, viola and cello.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Jack and Eula Mai Gates of Memphis, and Raymond and Anne Heller.
Grieving this loss are his parents, Julian Jack Gates of Eads, Tennessee and Dr. Sherry Ann Gates of Collierville, Tennessee; his brother, Raymond Julian Gates of Eads, Tennessee; his sister, Jennifer Lisa Eudy, brother in law Trent Thelen, and nephew Rye Wesley Thelen of Portland, Oregon. He also leaves his aunt, Marilyn Meeks of Collierville, Tennessee and his cousins Marcus, Matthew and Benjamin Meeks and their families.
Visitation for Alex will be held Friday evening, July 15, 2016 from 5pm to 7pm at Collierville Funeral Home, 534 West Poplar Avenue, Collierville, Tennessee 38017. A Celebration of Alex’s remarkable life will be held at 2pm on Saturday July 16, 2016 at High Point Church, 1035 East Winchester Blvd., Collierville, Tennessee 38017. Friends will be welcome to share remembrances with the family at that time. You are welcome to join the family for the internment at Magnolia Cemetery at 435 South Mount Pleasant Road, Collierville, Tennessee immediately following. Memorial contributions can be made to the donor’s choice.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18