Kenneth Bates

Mr. Bates was born February 20, 1929 in Plainville, the son of the late Elmer and Mildred (Orvis) Bates.

Ken (or Bud as he was known by those close to him) was employed for over thirty-years with the New Britain Public Library system, retiring in 1994. During those years, He also worked with Evergreen Nursery and Nickson Industries in various capacities.

He is survived by four children, Kenneth Bates and his wife Debra of Harwinton; Karen Kollar and her husband John, Kimberly Renehan and her husband Thomas, and Kristopher Bates and wife Joanne Paradis, all of Southington; and three brothers, Ronald Bates of Southington, Richard Bates of Northfield and Lowell Bates of FL; a sister Alma Mae Vincent of FL; seven grandchildren, Kelly, Jaime, Katie, Adam, Andrew, Daniel and Olivia; a great grandson Owen. He also leaves numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother Gerald Bates Sr. and by his ex-wife Bettie Bates.

Ken will always be remembered not by his errors or missteps but by the lives he touched and helped along the way. Ken was a loving and dedicated father no matter what the circumstances were and an even more loving and dedicated grandfather and great-grandfather. Generous to a fault, He never said no to any ones needs and was always there to help and support his family and friends whenever he could. Ken was an avid Red Sox fan, and he loved working with wood and working around the house and yard. Ken?s keen and original observations on life and people will be missed. Spending time with Ken was a time to learn. He will be missed by all those who loved him.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, October 23, 2009 at 10 a.m. at the DellaVecchia Funeral Home, 211 N. Main St. , Southington . Burial will follow at the West Cemetery on Rte 177 in Plainville. Calling hours will be Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. The family requests in lieu of flowers donations may be made to a charity of one?s choice.