Joseph William Sylvester Bate

1979 - 2020

Joseph William Sylvester Bate
1979 ~ 2020
Joseph William Sylvester Bate passed away October 2, 2020, in Temple Texas, a 41-year-old victim of Bush II's Iraqi adventure. He was born August 27, 1979, in Salt Lake City to Kerry William and Marilyn Eileen (Turner) Bate where he found himself with five older sisters (the late Doris Bushnell, Marilee Borden, Jennifer Bate, Rebecca Bate, and Gwendolyn Flores) and one older brother (the late David Bate). Adoptions later added Tanessa (Alfredo Ibanez), Eli (Nayeli Ortiz), and Joshua Bate (Josie Taylor). His niece, the late Martika Bate, was like a sister. He was also preceded in death by his grand-nephew, Marco Raul Ibanez, and step-niece, Charisse Azevedo.
Joe had a questing, inquisitive mind.; He loved insects, fish, amphibians, and other wildlife and by the time he was eleven he had collected 247 fossils. He graduated from Horizonte in 1999 and began his career in maintenance for the Salt Lake City School District; he became head custodian at East High. Joe joined the Utah National Guard to further his education and was deployed in June 2004 as part of Bravo Battery 1-148. He received several Army Commendation and Achievement Medals. Joe was especially tormented by two tragedies. First, he was guarding a checkpoint when a car ran it; he fired and killed an Iraqi man and a pregnant woman, who were only transporting oranges. Second, Joe's close friend and fellow soldier Ron Wood was killed by an IED; Joe, who was next to him, was devastated. Joe returned home in November 2005 with crippling PTSD; he was tormented with self-accusation and grief and threw his medals into the Jordan River. He will be missed by his large family and others; interment will be at Camp Williams at a future date.