William Henry Gates II, father to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates died on Monday, September 14, according to his son. Bill Gates Sr. was 94 years old.
In a recent post in Bill Gates' blog, GatesNotes, the software developer and business magnate announced: "My dad passed away peacefully at home yesterday, surrounded by his family." He noted that his father's passing was "not unexpected," citing that the elder Gates was 94 years old and had been experiencing declining health.
"My dad's wisdom, generosity, empathy, and humility had a huge influence on people around the world," the 64-year-old visionary wrote on his blog.
My dad was the "real" Bill Gates. He was everything I try to be and I will miss him every day.https://t.co/OnAEsmosNb — Bill Gates (@BillGates) September 15, 2020
An Army Veteran, Lawyer, and Father
Bill Gates Sr was an army veteran, having served in the United States Army for three years during World War II. After the war as a returning serviceman, he attended the University of Washington, where he earned both his bachelor's and his law degree.
In 1951, he married Mary Ann Gates, staying together until she passed away in 1994. Their partnership has blessed them with three children: Kristianne, Bill, and Libby. Bill says that they were "very lucky" to have been raised by their parents.
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"I knew their love and support were unconditional, even when we clashed in my teenage years," Bill wrote, giving his parents credit to him being strong enough to take risks, such as leaving college to create Microsoft together with Paul Allen.
Gates Sr, as a lawyer, was a co-founder of the firm Shidler & King, which later became Preston Gates & Ellis LLP. He also served as the president of both the Washington State Bar Association and the Seattle/ King County Bar Association. Aside from a number of other Northwest organizations, Bill Gates Sr also founded the Technology Alliance back in 1995 with the goal of improving employment conditions in Washington with the help of technology.
"He was one of the hardest-working and most respected lawyers in Seattle, as well as a major civic leader in our region," the Microsoft co-founder recalled.
Guiding the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
New York Times reported that in 1994 when Gates Sr. was already 69 years old and looking to retire from law practice. During a night out, the younger Gates told his father about his difficulties responding to calls for charity work, citing the workload of running Microsoft.
Bill Gates Sr reportedly volunteered to look at the paperwork and respond, with his son's approval. Shortly after, the younger Gates allotted $100 million to form the William H. Gates Foundation.
"The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would not be what it is today without my dad. More than anyone else, he shaped the values of the foundation," the blog post noted.
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Pablo Eisenberg, a columnist for publication The Chronicle of Philanthropy, once said that he considers Gates Sr as "the conscience of the Gates family. Eisenberg noted that the Gates patriarch was instrumental not just in starting the philanthropic arm, but in growing it.
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