Marjorie Bowles Gates

Our loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend, Marjorie Bowles Gates, passed away Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Riverside, California at age 91. She was born October 3, 1934 in Nephi, Utah to her parents Alvin Roy Bowles and Lorene Pay. Marjorie was raised with her four brothers and three sisters in the community of Nephi, Utah. She graduated from Juab High School.

After high school, she worked at Commercial Bank of Nephi in Nephi, UT where she broke her right index finger closing the bank vault. In 1954 as all her girlfriends were married, Marjorie moved to Long Beach, California and stayed with an aunt of one of her girlfriends. In Long Beach, she assisted the aunt and worked at a local bank. As a result of her experience with the bank, she developed a passion for balancing the check book ever month to the penny.

Marjorie met Thomas Arvil Marcroft Gates in 1955 at a M&M Gleaners dance. They later married in Manti, Utah Temple on June 14, 1956. Marjorie and Tom started their family in Compton, California where they welcomed three children. In 1962, the small family moved to Buena Park, California, just 1 1/2 miles from Knott’s Berry Farm, and welcomed another four children. In 1974, the family moved to Yorba Linda, California and welcomed the last child into the family. They lived there for 49 years. In 2023, she moved to Riverside, CA where she lived until her death.

Marjorie was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her life was filled with volunteering in many capacities at church including church caretaker, primary secretary, librarian and nursery worker.

Marjorie is survived by her brother Dean Bowles, her children Jeannette (Paul) Tricker, Christine (Dee) Fewkes, Lynn (Tim) Gates, Renee (Larry) Wheeler, Denise Miller, Lorene (Mike) Languein, Me’ Chel Gates, Jared (Heather) Gates and many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents (Alvin Roy Bowles and Lorene Pay), her beloved husband, Thomas Arvil Marcroft Gates, six of her siblings, and one granddaughter.

Marjorie and her smile will be greatly missed by her family, friends, and all that associated with her.

A memorial service will be held on April 18, 2026 at 11:00 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4375 Jackson St, Riverside, CA. A reception will be held prior to the memorial service. Grave dedication and interment will be on May 2, 2026 at 11:00 at the Vine Bluff Cemetery, 1240 North 400 East, Nephi, UT. Business casual attire is welcome.