I am so sorry to hear of Wade's sudden passing. He was such a kind and gentle soul who will be missed greatly. My heart and prayers go out to his family. Wade definitely made this world a better place.
It is rare to find a person who is admired by everyone he knows, but Wade was one of them. Our class of 1959 has lost one of its brightest and best lights, but the glow remains. My heartfelt condolences to his family.
Thank you for coming today to celebrate the life of my brother.
Wade was an interesting brother, a loving husband, a caring father, a devoted grandfather, a considerate cousin, a fun uncle, a good friend, and a reliable colleague. Each of you probably has at least one “Wade” story that reflects his impact on your life or the life of someone else.
Wade was the keeper, the teller, and at times the creator of our family stories. Family trivia was one of his favorite pastimes when we got together, and he relished the opportunity to share the lessons and traditions of a family whose heritage ran from the colorful through the unusual.
In high school, Wade was a worker. He managed a number of the athletic teams. He did all those things that needed to be done to help his class succeed. The Pascack Valley Class of 1959 got it right when he was voted “Most Dependable.”
Defying the expectations of our guidance counselor and some of his teachers, Wade went to college; he graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a degree in psychology and a major in Gail, who he married after graduation. (Like the smart boy he was, he married “up.”)
At Nabisco, from his early days as an assistant personnel director at the Fairlawn Bakery and through his highly successful advancement in the field of human resources, Wade was both a successful manager and a leader. “Managers do things right” and Wade was a successful manager. Wade was also a leader and “leaders do the right things.” As one of his children learned the summer that she worked at Nabisco, Wade was thought by many to be an HR “deity.” (And he loved that title.) He always treated everyone with respect, compassion and consideration, even when dealing with difficult personnel decisions and “out placements.” In fact, Wade was a master practitioner of “servant-leadership” before it became a popular concept.
However, his professional career was just a small part of his life. His love for Gail and his children, Allison, Pamela and Michael, and more recently his special relationship with grandchildren Hailee, Christian, Joey and Paityn, brought him great joy.
Holy Trinity was a major constant in his life. From children’s choir to acolyte, from custodian to senior warden, Wade Bates was there. He mowed the lawn, cleaned the church, helped with the finances, comforted members, and supported the mission of Holy Trinity for more than sixty years.
Wade was the ultimate local boy. He was a long-term Boy Scout leader. He served in the New Jersey National Guard. He loved walking the beach at Hilton Head, World War II history, buses and his recent experiences as a school bus driver. Most of all, Wade was always in the human resource business – but he was the humane resource for his family, church, colleagues. and the community.
Life: ultimately we all know the final destination, but my brother Wade knew the route (probably the 11A) - and it was in his journey that he made a difference.
Take a minute now to look around you. We are all going to have to step up. Wade is not here so we need to get into the human resource business. We can be his legacy.
I was so saddened to learn of Wade's sudden death. I had the pleasure of sitting next to Wade and his wife during dinner at our 50th reunion and enjoyed their company immensely. It made me feel a little cheated that I did not get to know him better through our high school years especially since he lived right down the street from me. I was struck by his kindness, gentleness, sense of humor, and his obvious love for humanity. Rest in peace dear friend.
Anne Davies (Alexander)
I am so sorry to hear of Wade's sudden passing. He was such a kind and gentle soul who will be missed greatly. My heart and prayers go out to his family. Wade definitely made this world a better place.
Anne Alexander
Linda Gifford (Van Orden)
It is rare to find a person who is admired by everyone he knows, but Wade was one of them. Our class of 1959 has lost one of its brightest and best lights, but the glow remains. My heartfelt condolences to his family.
Astrid (Arti) Madsen (Baruth)
Edith R Cole (Streubert)
I was so saddened to learn of Wade's sudden death. I had the pleasure of sitting next to Wade and his wife during dinner at our 50th reunion and enjoyed their company immensely. It made me feel a little cheated that I did not get to know him better through our high school years especially since he lived right down the street from me. I was struck by his kindness, gentleness, sense of humor, and his obvious love for humanity. Rest in peace dear friend.
Edith (Cole) Streubert