Randall 'Randy' K. Bates

RANDALL "RANDY" K. BATES

Fairfield

Randall "Randy" K. Bates, 75, of Fairfield, passed away Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, at Jefferson County Health Center surrounded by family and friends.

Visitation for family and friends will be 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26, at Behner Funeral Home.

Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, at Behner Funeral Home with Pastor Ryan Dexter and Pastor Danny Cary officiating. In Randy's honor, please wear your Iowa Hawkeyes apparel. Following the service, he will be cremated. Private burial will be at a later date at Hope Lutheran Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Fairfield Little League, Community Childcare or Hope Lutheran Church. Cards and memorials may be mailed to 2465 Glasgow Rd., Fairfield, IA 52556.

Randy was born Sept. 12, 1944, in Fairfield, to Roger Keith and Mildred (Goodwin) Bates. He married Colleen Marie Burger on Aug. 10, 1985.

Randy graduated from Fairfield High School in 1962. He attended Hope Lutheran Church in Germanville, Iowa. He worked at the Iowa Malleable, a security guard for Plexco and Rockwell, and owned his own mowing business. He was very knowledgeable about sports and was an avid Iowa Hawkeyes fan, who could talk to anyone for hours about it. He was known for his collection of sport t-shirts and hats from all over the U.S. Randy was on the first Little League Baseball team in Fairfield in 1957 and was known as the "Home Run Hitter." The love for sports continued in his grandson, Tallon. He and Colleen would go and watch all his sporting events.

Randy will be missed by his wife of 34 years, Colleen of Fairfield; his son, Randall Bates Jr. of Fairfield; grandson, Tallon Bates; mother, Mildred Bates-Smith; half-brother, Ronnie (Pris) Bates of Thailand; mother-in-law, Anna Mae Burger; sisters-in-law, Betty (John) Burr and Linda Burger; aunt, Maxine Bates; nieces, Mayree (Curtis) Workman, Jennifer Russell and Linda Bates; nephews, Patrick Bates and Steve (Kim) Winslow; and many great nieces, nephew and cousins.

Randy was preceded in death by his father, Roger; father-in-law, Howard Burger; stepfather, Cloyd Smith; brothers-in-law, Dewayne Burger and Richard Russel Sr.

Randy was a loving, caring, honest, giving and kind son, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, cousin and friend. He will be missed by all.

Online condolences may be made to the family at behnerfh.com.