Dr. Harry Orbell Yates III, 83, of Gainesville, died, April 8th.
Born May 15, 1931 in Camden, NJ, he grew up in nearby Merchantville. He was the son of the late Gertrude Gray Yates and Harry O Yates, Jr. Dr. Yates served as a commissioned officer from 1955-1957 in the US Army with 702nd Armored Infantry Battalion of the 1st Armored Division. He attended Juniata College earned a B.S. Degree in Forestry from the University of Maine 1954 (Sigma Chi) M.F. Degree in Forestry from Duke University and Ph.D. (Entomology) from Ohio State University in 1964.
Harry was a supervisory research entomologist with the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station of the U.S. Forest Service prior to his retirement in 1994 after 39 years of Federal service. In the Athens community he was a past President of the Green Acres Community Association. He was a long time member (1981-2008) and past President of the Athens Chapter of the American Heart Association. In 1984 he organized and served as the first President of the Athens Chapter of Mended Hearts, Inc. He was a volunteer with the Athens Regional Medical Center in the coronary care unit for 18 years, past Chairman of the Urban Tree Advisory Committee, a volunteer with Friends of the Library (Café au Libris), and a Charter Member of the Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery, where he served as its first Treasurer (1999-2009). A member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, he was a past vestry member and Senior Warden.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, JoAnn Nordstrom Yates, and by three children: COL. (Ret.) Harry O. Yates IV (Orbie) and his wife Margie of Valley, AL, and grandson Harry O. Yates V (Quint) of Houston, TX, Mark Douglas Yates and his wife Lanora of LaGrange, GA, and Rebecca Logan Yates Knight and her husband, William S Knight, Jr., of Jefferson, GA and grandchildren, Logan Elizabeth Knight and William S Knight III (Will). He is also survived by a sister, Lisbeth Yates Adams, and her husband, Rev Frank Adams, of Chestertown, MD, a brother in law, John E Nordstrom, and his wife Jo of Grove City, PA, three nephews and a niece.
Visitation with the family will be held Thursday, April 16, at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Athens, from 5:00 – 7:30pm. Memorial Service to be held on Friday, April 17, at 11:00am at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Athens. Family burial will follow at Oconee Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Athens Regional Hospital (www.athenshealth.org/supportathensregional), Trees in Memory shop.arborday.org/content.aspx?page=commemorative), or the Emmanuel Episcopal Church Memorial Fund: (
www.emmanuelathens.org).
Evans Funeral Home, Jefferson. 706-367-5467.
Online Condolences at www.evansfuneralhomeinc.com
