The Federal Way Mirror sat down with Bill Gates, not the tech guy, but a local resident who helped start the city, served on the fire commission for 24 years and was part of many other endeavors.
Gates, 81, was born Sept. 29, 1944, in Peru, Illinois, a small town about 100 miles southwest of Chicago, and grew up there until he graduated from high school. Gates said life was simpler back then.
He grew up with two siblings, a mother who stayed home to care for the family and a father who worked as a furniture salesman. For fun, he would play baseball, ride bikes, hang out with his pets and ride a sled in the winter. He said they had a television, but he doesn’t remember it getting used too much.
In high school, Gates said he played sports and worked a couple of part-time jobs. He made 75 cents an hour changing oil and pumping gas at a “filling station” on the weekends, and he stocked shelves after school for 90 cents an hour.
Gates said he met his wife, Mary Gates, in high school. Mary Gates was on the first Federal Way City Council and is a former Federal Way mayor.
Gates said that after he graduated from high school in 1962, his wife enrolled at Northern Illinois University on a scholarship, while he attended the University of Arizona, but eventually transferred to Tennessee Tech University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1966, then joined the military, married his wife in 1967 and eventually had two kids.
He later earned a master of business administration with a finance emphasis from Northern Illinois University in 1969. Gates said that he and his wife were long-distance for many years, putting many quarters in pay phones.
Then in 1969, he got a job with Weyerhaeuser in the purchasing department, which had a location in Grays Harbor, so that moved him to Cosmopolis, Washington, near work. That’s where Gates first started his volunteer work, being on the Cosmopolis School Board, the Grays Harbor Boy Scouts of America Council and the Bishop Performing Arts Center opening support committee.
However, in 1974, Gates was moved to the Federal Way Weyerhaeuser location. He worked at Weyerhaeuser for about 10 years, then in 1984, began working at a brokerage firm, where he retired at 62. Gates said it was soon after moving to Federal Way that he became involved with various community groups.
Local groups that Gates has been part of:
• The Spring Valley Montessori School Board.
• Board member and board chair for the Centerstage Theatre.
• Board member and board chair for Boys and Girls Club, Federal Way.
• Board member, board chair, and Hylebos natural area advocate for Greater Federal Way Chamber of Commerce.
• Assisted in opening the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center as treasurer and board member of the Pacific Northwest Aquatic Foundation.
• Board chair and on bond facility committee for the King County Library Board that helped build the library on First Avenue.
• Board member and board chair for the South King Fire Board of Fire Commissioners.
Getting involved
Another endeavor, Gates said, that he got involved in shortly after moving to Federal Way was getting the city incorporated. He said the chamber of commerce at the time, in some ways, acted like the city, going to King County and asking for things to be done in Federal Way, such as building a hospital, creating the West Hylebos Wetlands Park, and working on roads.
Gates said his involvement was mainly in getting the incorporation ballot passed. A ballot to incorporate the city went out a few times before it was finally passed, and the city was incorporated in 1990.
“We were tired of having to go 20 miles up the road to Seattle to have King County Council govern us,” Gates said. “We thought it was time for a city of our size, 50,000 or 60,000 people, to have our own governing body right here that we elected.”
Gates said after he left the King County Library Board, he decided to run for an open seat on the South King Fire Board of Fire Commissioners and was elected in the fall of 2001. He was the board chair for 14 years and served on the board for a total of 24 years.
“I did not run for reelection last year,” Gates said. “I sort of thought, you know, 24 years is fine. So most people don’t serve that long.”
Gates said he got involved in so many endeavors because whenever he saw a chance to help make the city better, he wanted to be part of it.
“So by getting on the board, it’s sort of like you got to have a seat at the table so that people understand your position and you can explain what’s going on in your community and so forth,” Gates said.
Regarding favorite things about the city, Gates said he just likes the city as a whole. He said there’s nothing like driving down First Avenue and seeing Mount Rainier.
Regarding his favorite restaurants, he said he likes Peking Wok and JP’s Tavern. Other things he enjoys are going on walks, wine tasting and spending time with his family.
Gates said he’s also an original Seahawks season ticket holder, and continues to be, so now he’s going to watch some football, relax, sit on the porch drinking wine and enjoy life.
