Mr. Brian Tucker Bates

Brian Tucker Bates, 58, died suddenly at his home on Saturday, June 15, 2024. Born in Columbia, he was the son of Roy Dawson and Sarah Potts Bates.
He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Virginia (Ginger) Fowler Bates; daughter Reese Bates Stanton (Joseph) of Columbia and son Brian Tucker Bates, Jr. of Charlotte, North Carolina; a sister Nancy Bates O'Conner (Cian), brother and sister-in law Rev. Dr. J. Eric Skidmore and Rev. Dr. Ellen Fowler Skidmore, and father-in-law Rev. Dr. Lewis W. Fowler Jr. of Columbia; brother-in law Wes Fowler (Mignon) of Greenville, S.C. and sister-in-law Suzanne Bates Whitehead of St. Simons, Ga; nieces and nephews; Virginia Claire, Wesley and Rachel Skidmore; Rachael and Griffin Bates; Chloe and Carolina Fowler; Fionn, Stephen and Liam O'Connor.
In addition to his parents Roy and Sarah Bates, he was pre-deceased by his brother Stephen Potts Bates and mother-in-law Florence Moffett Fowler.
Brian graduated from Richland Northeast High School in 1984 and remained a strong and proud supporter of the school while Reese and Tucker attended and played softball and baseball there and also after they graduated, becoming a volunteer assistant baseball coach and chairing the Athletic Hall of Fame committee – both of which gave him great joy and purpose. After graduating from RNE, Brian followed his brother Stephen to Presbyterian College where he completed the dual degree program, graduating with a B.S. in Physics from PC, and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Clemson University where he was part of the civil engineering honor society, Chi Epsilon. He was also a proud member of the Zeta Theta chapter of Sigma Nu Fraternity at Presbyterian College. Brian grew up attending and was baptized at North Trenholm Baptist church, where he began playing little league baseball and later coached his children's baseball teams. He became a Presbyterian after he married a Presbyterian preacher's daughter. Brian and Ginger were married at Eastminster Presbyterian Church where he was very active and served as both a deacon and an elder but also as a basketball coach, and as a youth group and missions trip leader. He also was an active part of the "Old Guy" Sunday School class where he enjoyed having spirited discussions about faith and life.
After graduating, he was a field engineer for Mashburn Construction where he worked on key projects such as the Trident Technical School in North Charleston and the Santee Cooper Administration building in Myrtle Beach. From there, he went to B.P. Barber and W.K. Dickson, where he began working in the field of water management and completed his professional engineering license (PE). Brian then went to work for Woolpert, Inc. where he was a Program Director and Vice President in the Water Market. He was a highly respected engineer across the state of South Carolina, specializing in the protection of water resources, storm water policy, and floodplain management, working with city, county and state governmental entities all over South Carolina. He helped in the formation of the SC Association of Storm Water Managers, served on the board, and was active in the organization for over 20 years. He also served on the board of the Southeast Storm Water Association and was active on the policy committee for many years. He was well known for his unique blend of technical acumen and understanding of storm water legal policy, providing counsel to local governments and their leadership from the upstate to the coast. He was a tremendous teacher and mentor for dozens of young engineers over his near 24 years at Woolpert. In addition to his work at Woolpert, he also served as the town engineer for Arcadia Lakes and was a great resource for and provided assistance to many individuals and groups in Columbia and across the state during the 2015 flood. Brian loved all things sports related, but especially baseball, golf and beach volleyball. He prepared diligently for his annual fantasy baseball draft, coordinated weekly volleyball games at his house, and took advantage of any opportunity to play golf with friends and family. His love for sports, competition, and friendship culminated at the annual weekend of the Butterbean Boys Club, a group of lifelong friends who gathered for over 30 years at North Myrtle Beach.
Brian was the go-to guy for his family, friends, and community for anything that needed to be designed, built, or fixed. He was always willing to assist on a science project, home improvement task, or lend one of his many tools. While Brian had many professional and personal passions, his greatest accomplishment was his 32-year marriage to his wife Ginger, and his two children Reese and Tucker. His investment in each of their individual lives and unwavering dedication to helping them achieve their dreams and aspirations was his greatest joy in life. Brian will forever be remembered as an investor in people and will be deeply missed by everyone who knew and loved him.
A Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held at 11o'cock on Thursday, June 20, 2024 at Eastminster Presbyterian Church. The family will greet friends immediately following at the church. The service will also be livestreamed using the following link: https://eastminsterpres.org/resources/live-services/
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to the Stephen Potts Bates Public Service Scholarship Fund at Presbyterian College (online: https://www.presby.edu/giving/give-now/ or via regular mail: Presbyterian College, Office of Advancement, 503 S Broad St, Clinton, SC 29325) or to the endowment fund at Eastminster Presbyterian Church (online: https://eastminsterpres.org/give/contribute/ or via regular mail: 3200 Trenholm Road, Columbia, SC 29204).