James Edwin Gates was born in Columbus on Sept. 18, 1940 to Charles Edwin and Molly Scales Gates. He graduated from Columbus High School in 1958 and received an Associate Degree of Building Technology at Southern Institute of Technology. He joined Williams Construction Company from 1962 until he became president of the company after his father’s death. Later he was a senior vice president at Flournoy Construction Co.
Jim was a member of the Rotary Club of Columbus, the President of Goodwill Industries of Columbus, on the National Board of Goodwill for six years, President of Junior Achievement, and a past President of the Big Eddy Club. He served as newsletter editor of the Georgia Chess Association and ADBUS, the original Atlanta Data Base Users Society.
He was a collector in many areas including photography and cameras; 13,500 books referencing Chess, and a large assortment of specialty Randall Knives. Jim and his friend, Bill Edwards, were early users of drone photography in 2011. Their panoramas and little planets have become historic records that can now be found at the Archives at Columbus State University and at The Columbus Museum.
In 1981, he married Sally Quillian Gates, and they have enjoyed living at Spring Harbor Retirement Community since 2006. Other family members who survive him in addition to his wife are his brother, Thomas Stuart Gates (Wynema) of Bainbridge, GA; Tom’s daughter, Stacey Preston Gates (Denver); Tom’s stepson, Christian Edward Calle, Chris’s wife Monica Patricia Colmenares (Columbus) and their daughter, Mariana Carolina Calle (Denver); sister-in-law Paula Berry (the late Joseph Scales Gates), their daughter Dr. Helen Gates Jenne Hyslop, her husband Dr. Robert Hyslop, and their son, Gates Oliver Hyslop, all of Atlanta.
Jim was a member of St. Luke Church, The Rev. Thad Haygood of St. Luke Church will officiate the Memorial Service to be held for the late James Edwin Gates, on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 11 a.m., graveside at Parkhill Cemetery.
