Fay Carol Gates

Fay “Carol” Gates, 91, of Round Rock, Texas, passed away on July 14, 2023. Carol was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She was born on August 8, 1931 in Lubbock, Texas, to Palmer Talmadge Haynes and Lella Ethel Haynes. Psalm 145 is one of Carol’s favorite passages of Scripture. She especially loved the verses about God’s greatness and faithfulness.

Carol lived a peripatetic life growing up in a tight knit family is number nine of ten siblings in Texas and Oklahoma. Her father was a Methodist minister and farmer. She started High School in Raymondville, Texas and graduated salutatorian in Ralls, Texas. She received her bachelor’s degree (education) from Bethany Nazarene, in Oklahoma and later completed her Master’s Degree. She began teaching high school English in Oklahoma City and helped part time with the Young Life youth ministry. A few years later, she went on staff for Young Life and moved to California. She met Ed Gates through working with youth in Young Life. He told her that if he was a little older, he’d give her a hard time. She laughed and tried to fix him up with younger friends. He joined the Navy after college. When he came back after service, he declared himself “older”; they dated and then married in December 1960. Then, he went to seminary and then back into the Navy for 20 more years as an active duty chaplain and later as a prison chaplain in Texas. Carol always adapted and moved over 50 times in her nearly 92 years. She lived her faith through her passion for Christian ministry and teaching while not losing her primary focus as a wonderful mother and grandmother. She taught Bible as an elective in public schools, taught in the Texas Prison System, cared for her mother in the last years of her mother’s life, and started a Bible study at The Enclave in the last few years of her own life. The challenges of being a spouse of a deployed service member and chaplain never interfered with her determination to love her family and serve others.

Carol is survived by her husband, Edwin Gates. Son, David Gates (Jill); son Paul Gates (Zee); daughter Holly Morse (Jim); grandchildren, Joshua (Maddie), Collin (Haylee), Ava, Zane, Ella, Daniel, and Analee; great grandchild Sally; Sisters, Ann Wright and Blanche Crossman.

She is preceded in death by Palmer Talmadge Haynes (father), Lella Ethel (Warren) Haynes (mother); brothers Palmer Talmadge Haynes Jr. and Weldon Haynes; sisters, Sarah Bracksieck, Ester Munson, Mary Lewis, Louise Hall, and Gladys Wiebelt.

In Lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Young Life (https://younglife.org/) or Samaritan’s Purse (https://www.samaritanspurse.org/).

The family would like to express their gratitude towards the staff of Trinity Care Center for their care in her last days.

A Memorial Service will be held at 10 AM on August 5, 2023 at First Baptist Church, Round Rock, Texas (https://www.fbcrr.org/).