YATES, William C.

The White Mountain Independent, Show Low, Arizona ~ December 4, 2009 William C. Yates died Nov. 28, 2009, in Colorado Springs, Colo. He was born April 24, 1941, in Mt. Clemens, Mich. to Doris D. (Goodall) and Franklin E. Yates. Bill loved being a child in Mt. Clemens and spending time on the family farm. He graduated from Mt. Clemens High School in 1959. As a child, Bill loved to take things apart and see how they worked. In high school he built his first telescope, even grinding his own lenses. In 1965, Bill graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in physics and that same year married Betsy J. Glass. In 1970, they welcomed their daughter Karen Marie. He and Betsy were later divorced. Bill's career advanced when he became an instrumentation engineer with Anaconda mining company. This allowed him to combine his love of engineering with his passion for the outdoors. Bill was especially fond of southern Utah, backpacking, camping and exploring the area for many years. On August 17, 1984, Bill married Karen L. Binkelman, sharing an amazing 25 years together. They experienced many joys, including building their dream home in Colorado Springs and traveling the world. Throughout his life, Bill was a Renaissance man in a modern world. Any craft or hobby he took an interest in was developed to the fullest extent. Some of his areas of expertise included astronomy, the history of bandits of the southwest (including interviewing Butch Cassidy's aunt), stained glass making, welding, electronics, genealogy, cross-country-skiing, and exploring the wilderness in his 1969 Ford Bronco. He was also very active in the ham radio community and made many friends around the world under his call sign KD7DC. The two crafts which Bill especially loved were photography and woodworking. Both of these crafts were self-taught. As early as high school he was able to print and sell his own photography, a trend that continued for many years. Some of his favorite photographs included those he took of President John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon when they visited MSU campus. Bill especially enjoyed sharing pictures of his and Karen's trips with family and friends. In his later years, he started combining his love of astronomy with photography. He spent many nights camped with his telescopic camera, returning with breathtaking photographs of the galaxy. Like photography, Bill started woodworking as a young teen. This he refined over his lifetime, becoming a master woodworker and completing many pieces of furniture and timepieces. In Bill and Karen's house, Bill did all of the cabinetry, bookshelves, library paneling, fire place mantels and even two bridges for their yard. His final legacy piece was a blanket chest, made for his daughter Karen Marie with her assistance and that of a close friend. Bill never left a project unfinished, completing the chest one week prior to his death. He is survived by his wife Karen; daughter, Karen Marie Herr (Hans); step-daughters, Shannon Miller (David), Jodi Coonce and four grandchildren, Alex and Heather Herr and Grace and Madeleine Miller He was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved dog, Skipper. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 4, at Rock of Ages Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colo. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Pikes Peak Hospice.