Funeral services for Mr. Dewitt D. Bates, 82, of Cullman, will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019 at Bethsadia Baptist Church. Burial will follow in the adjoining cemetery, with Rev. Sam Gregory and Rev. Malcolm Carter officiating. He will lie in state at the church for one hour prior to the service.
Cullman Funeral Home directing.
Dewitt was born May 25, 1937 and passed away at Cullman Regional Medical Center Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Hubert and Donna Speegle Bates and two brothers, Bobby Harold Bates and Neal Leslie Bates.
Mr. Bates was a veteran of the Vietnam War, a Bronze Star recipient; was on the Thunderbird Air Demonstration Squadron; he retired from the UASF and from Pemco as an aircraft inspector and was a deacon at Bethsadia Baptist Church for many years.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Judith Bates; daughter, Denise (Jim) Phillips; two sons, Bruce (Debbie) Bates and Brian (Sarah) Bates; sister, Diana (Gary) Mills; seven grandchildren, Beth (Jason) Gorham, Mark (Katie) Bates, Dustin (Jasmine) Venz, Jake (Mandy) Phillips, Mitch (Lenae) Bates, Ella Bates and Colt Bates; eight great-grandchildren, Jacy Gorham, Jayla Gorham, Cameron Phillips, Jaron Gorham, Aiden Jimenez, Chase Phillips, Mathew Venz and Evelyn Bates.
The family will receive friends for visitation Saturday evening at the funeral home from 6-8 p.m.
