September 17, 2024
Gates, Richard
Richard Tucker Gates, Born April 14, 1946, passed away on July 21st, 2024 at the Fitchburg Wellness Center in Fitchburg MA of complications due to diabetes and dementia. He was known to friends & family as Ricky. Son of William Gates and Sylvia Gillespie Gates, he grew up in Dedham with his father Bill, his sister Elizabeth Gates and his brother Billy. He attended Huntington Prep, Augustana College, and Lesley University for his M.Ed. He also attended Camp Tohkomeupog as a camper and counselor loving to shoot the rapids of the Allagash River in northern Maine. Ricky was a kind and devoted teacher in the Stoughton Schools, as well as an amazing professional musician / drummer throughout his career. He was an avid nature photographer with an artist’s eye. Ricky is survived by his sister Liz Wilson, his brother William J. Gates, his nephew Brett Wilson, and his grand nieces Suria & Iris Wilson. Ricky’s Memorial Service will be published here when a time and place have been decided.