Philip Gilbert (Gil) Gates, age 86, passed away on Saturday, December 27, 2025, after a courageous battle against two serious illnesses. At the time of his passing, he was surrounded by the love of his family. Gil was an incredible man - a devoted husband, father, uncle and friend to everyone he met.
At the age of 16, Gil moved to West Palm Beach from Newport, Rhode Island, and maintained lifelong friendships with his childhood friends. Upon coming to West Palm Beach, he attended Palm Beach High School and graduated in 1959. He loved being outdoors and playing sports. In Newport, he was always on the varsity teams for basketball, baseball, and football. At Palm Beach High School he was on the varsity team for football, where he made many good friends. Later in life, he played tennis, enjoyed jogging and took long walks in the park with his friends. Even as his health began to fail, he could be found in his beautiful backyard where he loved hitting the punching bag with the same determination he had as a young man. By then, his wife and family called him the "Silver Fox," due to his full head of silver hair.
His favorite pastime of all was spending time with his devoted wife of 62 years and his family.
Throughout his life, he enjoyed meeting people. He was known for his kindness, generosity, and his special ability to make everyone feel loved and welcome.
He served in the U.S. Marine Corps (reserve) and was a West Palm Beach police officer, both as a patrolman and motorcycle policeman. He learned how to fly airplanes, including multi-engine aircraft, and became a flight instructor. He loved flying and making sure his students would be safe in the air.
After retiring from flying, he became a supervisor of the billing department of a local hospital, where he brought all the billing up to date. Following this, he became an estimator for commercial windows and doors. After many years in this industry, he retired but stayed busy by working as a school crossing guard for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, where he received numerous commendations. He retired from the Sheriff's Office in 2020.
Gil is survived by his beloved wife Mary Linda (Flowers) Gates. They were married in St. Ann's Catholic Church in West Palm Beach on May 4, 1963, and their love continues to this day. They were blessed with three wonderful children: Karin Ahrenholz (John); Cathleen Brennan (Frank Lavonia); and Gilbert Joseph Gates (Cristal). His grandchildren are Lauren, Alex, Tori, Tyler, Ryan, Joseph, Benjamin, Adam, and Nathan. He is also survived by his brothers Francis Gates (Pauline) and Jerry Baum (Barbara) and his many nieces and nephews, with a special thanks to his loving niece, Lindsay "Miggie" Grogan, who was always there for him during his illness.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the home of his son, Gilbert Joseph Gates, on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 2 p.m. For directions, please email [email protected].
At the age of 16, Gil moved to West Palm Beach from Newport, Rhode Island, and maintained lifelong friendships with his childhood friends. Upon coming to West Palm Beach, he attended Palm Beach High School and graduated in 1959. He loved being outdoors and playing sports. In Newport, he was always on the varsity teams for basketball, baseball, and football. At Palm Beach High School he was on the varsity team for football, where he made many good friends. Later in life, he played tennis, enjoyed jogging and took long walks in the park with his friends. Even as his health began to fail, he could be found in his beautiful backyard where he loved hitting the punching bag with the same determination he had as a young man. By then, his wife and family called him the "Silver Fox," due to his full head of silver hair.
His favorite pastime of all was spending time with his devoted wife of 62 years and his family.
Throughout his life, he enjoyed meeting people. He was known for his kindness, generosity, and his special ability to make everyone feel loved and welcome.
He served in the U.S. Marine Corps (reserve) and was a West Palm Beach police officer, both as a patrolman and motorcycle policeman. He learned how to fly airplanes, including multi-engine aircraft, and became a flight instructor. He loved flying and making sure his students would be safe in the air.
After retiring from flying, he became a supervisor of the billing department of a local hospital, where he brought all the billing up to date. Following this, he became an estimator for commercial windows and doors. After many years in this industry, he retired but stayed busy by working as a school crossing guard for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, where he received numerous commendations. He retired from the Sheriff's Office in 2020.
Gil is survived by his beloved wife Mary Linda (Flowers) Gates. They were married in St. Ann's Catholic Church in West Palm Beach on May 4, 1963, and their love continues to this day. They were blessed with three wonderful children: Karin Ahrenholz (John); Cathleen Brennan (Frank Lavonia); and Gilbert Joseph Gates (Cristal). His grandchildren are Lauren, Alex, Tori, Tyler, Ryan, Joseph, Benjamin, Adam, and Nathan. He is also survived by his brothers Francis Gates (Pauline) and Jerry Baum (Barbara) and his many nieces and nephews, with a special thanks to his loving niece, Lindsay "Miggie" Grogan, who was always there for him during his illness.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the home of his son, Gilbert Joseph Gates, on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 2 p.m. For directions, please email [email protected].
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Philip Gilbert Gates, please visit our flower store.
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