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Kates, Linford H.

November 3, 1946 –
 August 24, 2017

Obituary

Linford H. Kates died August 24, 2017 surrounded by family and friends in his final days. Never one to be told what to do, Lin made it a point to fight multiple myeloma on his own terms to the end. He now joins his parents, Linford and Mary Kates on the grand tour of the universe among the stars. Lin was born November 3, 1946 in Lansdale, PA and enjoyed a happy childhood with his brother John and a large family of aunts, uncles and cousins spending lots of time on the family farm or visiting the lakes of upstate New York. Lin went on to join the Army where he served two tours as a Captain of the Green Berets, befriended a monkey, was awarded several commendations and generally kicked ass. In the years following he graduated Magna Cum Laude at North Texas State University, became a distinguished accountant, met his future wife, traveled extensively while deep sea diving and finally settled down to have a family. Lin will be remembered for his love of nature and a good hunting or fishing trip, kindness to animals, and for always being humble to his fellow human beings, as well as his love of friends and a bit of hell raising.

Lin is survived by his wife, Susan Kates; his children, Allyson Vaughn and Garett Kates and three grandchildren.

Committal Service with Military Honors

11:15 AM, Friday, September 8, 2017 Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75211

Those planning on attending the committal service should plan on arriving at DFW National Cemetery at 11:00 AM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider making a donation in Lin’s name to Team Rubicon or to the Fisher House Foundation.

  Arrangements are under the direction of: ARIA Cremation Service & Funeral Home 19310 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75252 214-306-6700

    Tom Harrison
    29 Aug 2017
    12:24pm

    Sue and family, I was saddened to learn of Lin’s passing, he was always a pleasure to be with. Still recall our trip to Bonaire many years ago, good memories. My sympathies to all.

    Bruce Borden
    29 Aug 2017
    9:53pm

    Dear Sue, Allyson and Garrett. My sincere condolences on your loss. I have very found memories of many good times spent with Lin. He will be greatly missed.

    David Crutcher
    30 Aug 2017
    4:40pm

    I will miss Lin but I’m sure there are many fish and crabs breathing a sigh of relief!

    Arthur Nahatis
    30 Aug 2017
    5:08pm

    Who will ever replace the big smile, a hearty hug and a ” Hey Boy” that Lin always greeted with.
    He was a True Friend to me and my family and he’ll be missed by many.
    He served his country, his family and the planet with his presence….
    We love you Lin and look forward to seeing you in your glory up in heaven….
    To Suzie, Allison, Garrett and families ,
    My humblest regrets
    Love, Arthur

    Michele Tymchyn Seelow
    30 Aug 2017
    5:57pm

    I am so sorry to hear of Lin passing! I wish we were all still on, or near, the farm, close to one another. My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this most difficult time. RIP cuz.

    Betsy Hester
    30 Aug 2017
    7:13pm

    Lin was the best boss I’ve ever had, and really more like family to me. I will miss him and am praying for all of you. Love, Betsy

    Karen (Fleitman) Hallum
    31 Aug 2017
    8:14am

    Dear family of Lin,

    I am so sorry to hear of Lin’s passing. Though I lost touch with him over the past few years, I have fond memories of working with him. I have a lot of respect for him, and will miss him. My deepest sympathies for your loss.

    Karen (Fleitman) Hallum

    Andrea Tymchyn Forster
    31 Aug 2017
    1:34pm

    Many wonderful memories with my cousins on the farm and in Lansdale. Lin was a special kid with a great sense of humor! My thoughts and prayers are with all of you.

    Joseph V. Hughes, Jr.
    6 Sep 2017
    9:06am

    Sue and family–please accept my condolences on Linn’s passing. We worked together for a few years at Touché Ross. Lin was a great teacher and mentor who showed extraordinary patience with those he lead. His dry wit was appreciated by all and will surely be missed.

    Barbara McCune
    6 Sep 2017
    10:40am

    Susie, Allyson & Garrett. I know you will miss him greatly and I’m sorry he lost the battle….but he is in no pain ever and is probably looking around for the best fishing hole. We had a good time working together. He is the kind of man who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. And thanks for your service to our country but it ended up not be kind to your body in the end.

    Paul & Mary Bureau
    6 Sep 2017
    8:59pm

    Susie, so sorry to hear about Lin. Been a long time since we’ve seen either of you, but we have fond memories. You were both great fun. Cherish the good times.

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"Excellent customer service, they made you feel like you were their only customer. Very helpful and explained what we should expect during the process. They basically took care of our needs during this time. They contacted DFW National Cemetery for us which made it a smooth experience. Definitely will use them again."
K. Barker
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"I was amazed how professional the team at Aria Funeral Preston Dallas Texas are. They guided me through the process and my options of their services that they offered for my mother. They are compassionate, caring, calm, good listener, efficient and did an excellent job! Thank you!"
R. Woll
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"If I could give 6 stars I would. Aria made a difficult easier to deal with by basically taking care of everything in an efficient but very empathetic manner. I can speak highly enough of Dusty Martin, who helped us with all of the planning and logistics. He was incredibly understanding and helpful."
Angel M.
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"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
McGee Family
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"Wayne and Staff, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for our mom, Exter McGee and our dad, Philip McGee. You have been great to work with during such a difficult time."
Elledge Family
Elledge Family
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"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
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"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
Paula BarnesGoogle Review
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"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
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