Donald T. Bate, 97 passed away peacefully on October 18, 2022 in Warrington Pa. Don was born August 4, 1925 in Peotone, Illinois to Lloyd and Louise (Tong) Bate and was brother to Alice.
Don spent 90 years of life in his favorite place in the world, Peotone, Illinois. He attended Peotone Schools for the first eight years and walked to the nearby one-room schoolhouse. Then, continued on to Peotone High School where he was thrilled to make the basketball team. Always up to some kind of shenanigans, he liked to tell the story of starting a bonfire in a cornfield outside of Peotone in a required black-out during WW II. He met the catch of his life in 1946 and he and Lorna Bruns married on June 5, 1948. They were an inseparable team, whether jitterbugging on the dance floor or in the business world. As the son of a farmer, he too, became a farmer and lover of the land. A back injury in 1956 prevented him from the physical demands of farming and he joined McCausland, Hoag & Vaughn at the Chicago Stock Yards as a livestock broker. After the closing of the Stock Yards in 1971, Don began his next career as a real estate broker at Bate-Carstens Real Estate, where he sold many of the homes and farms in the area until his retirement in 1995. Vegetable gardening then became a huge part of his life, never wasting a thing! Local residents reaped the benefits, too. He could often be seen, driving his bounty to the Peotone Post Office in his old golf cart.
Don served on the Peotone School Board and was a past president of the Peotone Fire Department and was a life-long member of the Peotone Presbyterian Church where he served in many positions.
Don and Lorna Shared a passion for travel. They were fortunate to have seen much of the world, always excited to try new foods, learn about other cultures, and their history. He especially loved his fishing trips from Alaska to South America and everywhere in between. And, he wasn’t afraid to share a fish story or two! After retirement Don and Lorna spent the winters in Islamorada, Florida and looked forward to returning to the Beacon Reef Community each year. They continued to operate their own farming business until Lorna’s death in 2021.
Don was preceded in death by his love, his partner his “Hot Lips”, his wife of 72 years, Lorna. He is survived by his daughters, Marcia (Timothy) Ennis of Stuart, Florida and Doylestown, Pa., and Sherry Hoover (Kirk) of Bluffton, South Carolina, four grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather and will live in the hearts of those who loved him.
Private burial will be at the Peotone Cemetery.