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Stephen Bates

Follow this link to view Stephen’s Beacon of Light music project, which he took great pride in.

Follow this link to view Stephen’s CaringBridge page.

Stephen “Steve” Bates was born on October 10, 1963 to Lawrence and Mary Bates.  He spent his childhood in Medford, Wisconsin, where he graduated from Medford Senior High School in 1982. In 1986, Steve graduated cum laude from UW-Stout with a degree in Industrial Technology with a concentration in Building Construction. He later earned a master’s degree at Stout in Construction Management. On August 18, 1986 he was blessed in marriage to Katherine Lynn Malovrh, a classmate from Medford. They were blessed with two sons, Ryan and Philip. 

Steve’s career as a Project Engineer and Senior Project Manager for various firms took him to Illinois, California, Montana, and finally to Minnesota where he worked for PCL Construction Services from 1998 until his medical retirement in 2013. During his professional career he received many awards. Particularly prized by Steve were two recognitions from the Native American community with whom he became intimately involved while supervising various projects during the construction of Mystic Lake Hotel & Casino.  One of those awards, The Turtle Award, is given to “an individual who volunteers time, energy, and services beyond their normal work responsibilities to support and promote the Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber’s efforts to promote American Indian business.”

Steve’s volunteerism extended beyond work to the community where he lived. He served as a Boy Scout Cub Master for Pack 211, a Finance Council member and Third Degree Knight of Columbus at St. Patrick Parish, and was one of the founding members of the St. Patrick School Design & Building Committee in 2001.  He also was a visionistic member for the University of Wisconsin-Stout collegiate Construction Degree Advisory Board.

Amidst all the professional success and community involvement, Steve never lost track of what mattered most: his love of family and friends.  An especially close bond was forged with his young sons during the months that they spent in Montana and California with Steve as “Mr. Mom” while Katherine remained in Minnesota to finish her teaching certification. His happiest moments were those spent hunting and fishing with his boys and his friends.  Steve loved the outdoors, and the time that he and his family spent at their cabin near Medford was especially cherished.

Central to Steve’s life was a deep Catholic faith that animated all that he did.  It was the root of his strength in dealing with the ravages of ALS for over eight years.  Steve’s courage in front of that ordeal, his ever-present smile, and his optimism were a testament to that faith, a source of wonder to his friends, and an example of joyful resignation to all.  His life was filled with accomplishments: a blessed marriage with the “love of his life” Katherine, a close relationship with his sons, success in his career, and outreach to his community.  But perhaps his greatest achievement was the courage with which he faced the cruelty of diminishment, pain, and premature loss of life from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and life’s mean jabs.  Steve never complained about his fate, and his example made it impossible for those who knew him to complain of the much more minor struggles in their lives.

Steve is survived by his beloved wife Katherine, sons Ryan (Ellen) of Waukesha, WI and Philip of Hudson, WI, and grandson, Rowan.  He also leaves behind his three siblings (Michael, Barbara & David) and Katherine’s brothers (Charles & Kevin) and sisters (Karin, Kristi, Cindy) and all of their spouses.  He was preceded in death by his two children, Eric and Aimee, parents Lawrence and Mary Bates, and brother-in-law Karl Malovrh. 

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 11:00 a.m. Friday, September 21, 2018 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1500 Vine St., Hudson, with a visitation one hour prior to Mass. Visitation will be held 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Thursday, September 20, 2018 at church. Interment will take place 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 21, 2018 at Willow River Cemetery in Hudson.  In lieu of flowers, the family would encourage memorials directed to St. Patrick Parish Endowment Fund, Wisconsin ALS Association, and ALS Association of Minnesota.

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