Posted: Wednesday, January 17, 2007 12:00 am
Nov. 30, 1918 - Jan. 1, 2007
Earl Maxwell Bates died Monday, Jan. 1, at his Corvallis home in the presence of his family. He was laid to rest Jan. 8 at Claquato Cemetery, Chehalis, Wash., among other family members and friends. His nephew, Pastor Kenneth Bates of Corona, Calif., officiated at the service.
Earl was born in Johnson County, Neb., the son of Frank Reid and Lora (Taylor) Bates. He grew up on a farm and graduated from Tecumseh, Neb., high school.
Later, he came to the Pacific Northwest and worked and studied in Centralia, Wash., until he was inducted into the military. He spent 3 ½ years during World War II as a meteorologist at Air Force bases across the United States. During this time, he was engaged to Hannah Cameron of Chehalis, and they were married March 3, 1946, when he was discharged from military service and hired by the National Weather Service.
His career as a federal weather forecaster started in Ilwaco, Wash. He progressed to Kelso, Olympia and Walla Walla, and then into Oregon at Portland. He did much work and research with solar radiation, wind power, fruit-frost problems and agricultural crops. He graduated from Portland State University and also attended University of Washington and University of California at Davis.
In 1966, Earl became meteorologist-in-charge of the Eugene airport weather station until 1969, when he assumed duties of State Agricultural Meteorologist at Oregon State University. He became involved in weather related advising in all areas of Oregon. He was published locally, nationally and internationally on subjects including solar radiation and wind power.
He retired in 1982, then enjoyed spending time in wood working. He also enjoyed playing the organ and traveling with his wife throughout the United States and into Canada and Mexico.
Earl was a member of Corvallis Kiwanis Club and founding president of the Corvallis Kiwanis Foundation. He was in Toastmasters International for 24 years and was a member of the American Meteorological Society, American Legion, and the Veterans Memorial Museum, Chehalis, Wash.
He won civic and professional awards, among them the Bronze Medal from the Department of Commerce, the highest award a department agent can receive, for Superior Federal Service and exceptional service to the agriculture community. The Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences honored him as a member of the Diamond Pioneer Agricultural Achievement Registry.
He is survived by wife Hannah and daughters Allison of Corvallis, Karen Holland and daughter and two sons of Salem, and Jennifer Lamothe of Tukwila, Wash. He was a member of the Grants Pass Primitive Baptist Church and attended Westminster Presbyterian Church of Corvallis.