Richard Ira Yates

"If you desire with all your heart, friendship with every race on earth, your thought, spiritual and positive, will spread; it will become the desire of others, growing stronger and stronger, until it reaches the minds of all men."
'Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks.
The love, compassion, warmth, and spirit of fellowship conveyed above are emblematic of the way Richard Ira Yates lived his life in this world. Originally addressed to an audience of Bahá'ís and members of the public gathered in Paris on October 21, 1911, they were spoken by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, Prophet Founder of the Bahá'í Faith. From his commitment and loyalty to his family, his generosity of spirit and willingness to assist others, his choice of profession and approach to his work, to the inviting warmth of his hugs and firm handshakes, and the radiance of his smile and heartwarming laughter, Richard's life is a testament to his conviction that we are all members of one human family. Any attempt to capture in writing the meaning of his life and the impact he has had on his family and community would fall impossibly short. Therefore, these few paragraphs are merely an outline of some aspects of the earthly journey of a soul whose life has been beautiful and rich beyond words.
Richard was born on November 22, 1935 in Sioux City, Iowa to Prince Henry and Juanita (née Hall) Yates. Raised in an era of turbulent social change between the Great Depression, the second World War, and Jim Crow segregation, his life consistently defied expectations. Born prematurely, he grew to the grand stature of 6 foot 4. Told as a teenager that his professional aspirations should, at their highest, aim for a position in sanitation, he later went on to earn a doctorate in counseling psychology. When he was expected to join his father working at the local meat-packing plant after high school, thanks to a scholarship granted to the Black male with the highest GPA, he instead continued his education by earning a BA from Morningside College. He also played basketball for the college team, and despite the initial reticence of the school to recognize his athletic contributions, he successfully advocated for himself to receive the athletic scholarship he deserved. Later in life he never missed an opportunity to share the story of his 31-point game, with 27 of those points scored in the second half.
After college Richard wanted to be a teacher, but his applications were constantly rejected and accompanied by the message that, in 1958, 'Negro' teachers were not welcome in Iowa. Defying expectations yet again, Richard moved his growing family to Colorado, where he was able not only to secure a teaching job in the Denver Public Schools (DPS), but he was also in a position to help lead the struggle to integrate the school district. For thirteen years he taught primarily in middle school. During that time, he also obtained a master's degree in guidance and counseling from the University of Colorado, Boulder and worked his final years with DPS as a counselor in a high school. In 1969, he took a position at Colorado State University as a college counselor. Once again, counter to the expectations and claims by the university that there were no qualified Black counselors, he had been hired after some of his former students put forward his name.
His colleagues at Colorado State were so impressed by his skill and intellect that they suggested that he go for his doctorate. With that encouragement, Richard left to earn his Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Arizona State University in 1975. He completed his degree while also working as a staff member at the University of Iowa's Counseling Center between 1978-1981. He continued working as a counselor and therapist, and later was the director of the Counseling and Testing Center at Cleveland State University. Throughout his career, he served in leadership roles, including in a professional organization that certified counseling centers nationally and internationally. Because of his reputation and professional standing, he also worked on contract for Cleveland sports organizations including the Cleveland Browns and the Guardians (then known as the Cleveland Indians).
The dedication and excellence exhibited by Richard in his professional life was matched by his commitment to family and community service and engagement. Over the years Richard refereed high school basketball games, was an umpire for youth baseball, participated in PTA fund raisers and theater events, and cheered on his children at countless sports events. He served on several local boards, including a period as president of the Heights Community Congress. In his leisure time he played in bowling leagues, ran a marathon, could grill a mean rib, and never hesitated to snap a winning card on top of the pile in a game of spades or bid whist.
Raised in the African Methodist Episcopal church, faith was always a cornerstone of Richard's life. After embracing the Bahá'í Faith in 1989, his service expanded to include numerous communitiy building activities. He was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Cleveland Heights, and served as its chair for decades. He sang with the Voices of Bahá choir at the Bahá'í World Congress in New York City in 1992. With his wife Melodie, over several tours, he traveled with the same choir throughout Europe and India. They also sang with a Bahá'í Gospel choir at the 75 Year Jubilee in Ethiopia, celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the introduction of the Bahá'í Faith in that country. For years his family home in Cleveland Heights was the weekly venue for choir rehearsals and countless other activities for children and youth. He served the Bahá'í Faith, his Faith, with dignity and steadfastness for many years with an unwavering commitment to building bridges of unity in an increasingly polarized world. Along the way he raised five remarkable children to adulthood and success. His legacy is reflected in the countless achievements by a myriad individuals of all ages and races that he helped along in their own journeys.
As this chapter ends, the next page of his unending story begins. Richard is preceded in making this transition to the next world by his parents, Prince Henry and Juanita Yates, and his sisters Patsy Green (née Yates), Phyllis Banta (née Yates), and Princetta (Chetta) Davis (née Yates). He is survived by his sister Juanita (Jenny) Yates-Rouquemore; his daughters (with Dorothy Harris) Charlene Yolanda Yates and Christine Suzanne Yates; his loving and devoted wife Melodie Sue Yates (née Hein); his sons Aaron Richard Yates (m. Tammy Kazazi), and Nathaniel Ira Yates (m. Elissa Gordon); his grandchildren Anthony Ryan Yates (m. Megan Pinkney) (son of Christine and Lenny), Elsia Mae Kazazi Yates (daughter of Aaron and Tammy), and Zahír Kazazi Yates (son of Aaron and Tammy); and his great grandson Kweli Elijah Yates (son of Anthony and Megan). In their hearts, and those of countless others, Richard's memory will be carried forward for generations. May we hold the neverending progress of his soul towards reunion with its Creator in our prayers.
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