On Tuesday, August 23, 2022, John Warren Yates, loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend, passed away.  John was born in Lebanon, MO on July 1, 1944 to Eldon and Jane Yates.

John and his older brother David both enjoyed sports. As a LHS Yellowjacket, he lettered in basketball, football and baseball and was an academic standout too. These skills live on in his beloved grandchildren and it gave him great pride to watch them grow and develop on and off the field.  Many of the friendships he made in high school lasted a lifetime.  The same can be said of the friendships he made in college as a member of Kappa Alpha.  These friends were very special to him.

His success as a CPA came naturally and there was a proud family history of working in finance, including his mother and daughter. His career was long and honorable, with countless appreciative clients, and employees, some staying with him his entire career.

John and Ginny shared 35 years of tremendous love, friendship, and respect for one another.  Together they delighted in time spent with family, especially around a table, at a restaurant, preferably one near a beach.  For John it was never complete without a side of melted butter in a bowl for shrimp. Vacations were almost always a pilgrimage to Destin, Florida for sun and sand, or a quick trip up I-44 for balls and strikes at Busch Stadium. Witnessing the Cardinals win Game 7 of the 2011 World Series with his son Toby was a pinnacle experience. John enjoyed a good puzzle; Wheel of Fortune was rarely missed, and he also enjoyed Words with Friends with his niece. He also enjoyed playing golf at Twin Oaks Country Club, often with the Pond Scum group on the weekends. Hard work, honesty and directness were highly valued yet his contributions to conversation were often sprinkled with highly obscure, out of left-field, and amusing references drawn from his vault of memories.

For over eighteen years, John bravely survived several bouts with various cancers, each delivering mighty blows but never knocking him down due to his stubborn will to live as well as exceptional care received from his loving wife, Ginny, and doctors for whom he felt immense gratitude. Dr. Alex Patterson at Barnes Hospital was one that he revered both for his medical skills and healing human touch.

John is survived by his wife, Ginny Yates, daughter Teri Yates and her husband Andy Christiansen, son Toby Yates, his children Jaxon, Brady and Sydney, brother David Yates, his wife Linda and their daughter Kristen Yates-Booth, her husband Travis and daughter Madeline and stepdaughter, Cheri Wiggins.  He was preceded in death by his parents, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Visitation for John will be 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Thursday, September 1, at Greenlawn Funeral Home East with services following at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donating to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html in his honor.