Dr. Paul E. Bates

Paul E. Bates

September 1, 1942 - August 29, 2024

Dr. Paul Emerson Bates was born in Rome, NY, the first born of Emerson C. and Marion C. Bates (both of whom pre-deceased him). He was raised in Rome, NY, graduated from Rome Free Academy, and was a member of the track and cross-country team.  Paul was a member of the Boy Scouts of America, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout and being elected to the Order of the Arrow. He subsequently received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of the Holy Cross, a Bachelor of Medical Sciences from Dartmouth Medical School and Doctor of Medicine from Cornell Medical School.  His internship was spent at Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington, VT, where he met his future wife; and he completed a four-year residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology in 1973 at Cornell – New York Hospital.  He thoroughly enjoyed fulfilling his 2-year military obligation at Fort Huachuca Bliss Army Hospital in Arizona with his young family.

In 1969, he was united in marriage with Connie J. Randall of Morrisville, VT. It was a 54 year plus union.  He leaves his loving wife and his 2 beloved children: Allyssa J. Bates of Framingham, MA and Christopher P. Bates of Ithaca, NY.  He is survived by his cherished siblings and sister-in-law: Ronald J. Bates (Mary Ann) of Dudley, MA; Joan M. Kotwica (Paul) of Barneveld, NY; Donald M. Bates of Rome, NY and Linda E. Randall of Marietta, GA.  He is predeceased by his brother, Philip C. Bates and his sister, Anne N. Bates. Paul is also survived by many treasured nieces and nephews.

On July 9, 1975, Paul joined the obstetrical and gynecological practice now known as Ob-Gyn Associates of Ithaca.  For the next 34 years, he was privileged to practice his specialty with many outstanding physicians – in the practice and at what is now Cayuga Medical Center.  He was passionate about his profession and enjoyed hearing from his patients (and their children) in encounters around Ithaca. Dr. Bates held many positions both in the Ob-Gyn Department and on the Medical Staff until he retired in 2013.

While the practice was tremendously fulfilling, his family was paramount. He enjoyed supporting both of his children – Allyssa in her swimming endeavors and Chris’ hockey and lacrosse.  When Allyssa invited him to join her in training for the Boston Marathon, he accepted and proceeded to complete 14 more marathon (while he ran other courses, Boston remained his favorite) – training runs became cherished time together for Dr. Bates and Allyssa.

In 1976, he joined the Ithaca Yacht Club and relished daily swims in the summer months – he took great pride in being able to tell you the water temperature and each year, tried to extend his streak of unbroken swim days well into the fall. In 1986, the family purchased a condominium at Hollywood Hills, on First Lake in the Adirondack Mountains, a lifelong goal of Paul’s since he visited Eagle Bay as a boy.  The memories of the times spent hiking, swimming, golfing, dining at Frankies and the friends made are cherished.  He was renowned for his “real estate” tour and no guest was spared a trip on his motorboat to see the new listings on the first four lakes.  The “condo” in Old Forge became a gathering point for the entire Bates family and became the site of several meaningful reunions.

Paul also participated in Saturday night “Old Guys Hockey” for many years – a testament to his enduring love of the game that he would suit up to play at Cass Park at 10 pm on those cold winter nights that only Ithaca can produce. He was also an avid skier and enjoyed conferences in Vail, CO which allowed him “chairlift chats” with close friends.  After retirement, Paul took up golf and improved very little in 13 years but enjoyed the time spent on the links with his golf buddies immensely.  Retirement also gave him an opportunity to serve on the boards of Hospicare and the Cancer Resource Center.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, September 10 at 11:30 AM at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 309 Siena Drive, Ithaca, with a reception and party to follow in the parish center. All are welcome. The service will be live-streamed with a link on St. Catherine’s website  https://stcathofsiena.org  and will be available for several weeks. https://boxcast.tv/channel/izrxkpfemabzytva9yuk

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to charities that were important to Paul: Hospicare  https://www.hospicare.org/donate/, Cancer Resource Center https://crcfl.net/ and The SPCA of Tompkins County, a no-kill shelter where several family pets were adopted from:  http://www.spcaonline.com.