Ronald Robert Yates

Ronald Robert Yates, age 73, passed away peacefully at home on July 6, 2017. He was born on April 22, 1944 in Coleman, Oklahoma to Frank and Ruby (Evans) Yates. When he was 17 years old, Ron joined the U.S. Navy and served his country as a Hospital Corpsman for sixteen years including three tours of duty in Vietnam. He served on the USS Picking, the USS Ranger, and the USS Bennington. He was often the highest ranking medical personnel aboard, which was an intimidating responsibility for a 21 year-old. After leaving the military, Ron settled down with a former classmate from Coleman High School Quinnia Benge. He began his life as a civilian and tried many jobs, including working as a research assistant in Agronomy at Mississippi State University. He finally found his calling as a high school science teacher, where he worked with low income children in rural Mississippi. He retired in 2006 and spent the next few years visiting family and pursuing new hobbies (dubbed by a friend as "long distance hole punching"). In 2012, Ron and Quinnia relocated to Rochester Hills to live near their daughter Rhonda and take advantage of the area's excellent medical facilities. As evidenced by his life choices, he believed that family is the most important part of life, and he believed in service to others. Ron was extraordinarily skilled at recalling names and dates, which made him a walking encyclopedia, particularly regarding history. He often shared Civil War facts with friends and family, telling them which general charged up which hill. When a song came on the radio, he could recall where he was, who he was with, and what he was doing the first time he heard it. He loved to tell jokes and to try to get a rise out of friends and family. Ron is survived by his wife Quinnia, his sister Arlene Franklin, his daughter Denna M. Green-Corbett and his son-in-law Robbie Corbett, his grandsons Alex (and Victoria) and Forrest Green, his daughter Rhonda Yates, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.