Yesterday, Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates announced the demise of his father, William Gates II, at the age of 94.
His death occurred due to complications caused by Alzheimer's. He passed away peacefully on Monday at his beach home in Washington state.?
Bill Gates Sr. was a lawyer by profession, however, he was also a philanthropist who inspired the Microsoft founder to adopt a philanthropic way of life, through?Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.?
In a tribute penned down by Bill Gates, he expressed his emotions on this loss, stating, "My dad was the ¡®real¡¯ Bill Gates. He was everything I try to be and I will miss him every day." He added, "My dad's influence on our philanthropy was just as big. Throughout my childhood, he and my mom taught me by example what generosity looked like in how they used their time and resources."
Gates Sr was born in the year 1925 and grew up in Bremerton, Washington. He joined the army after his freshman year at the University of Washington. However, in 1945 while he was on his way to Japan for war, Japan surrendered and he served a year there before returning to the States. He then resumed his studies and attained his law degree in 1950. He later progressed and established Preston Gates and Ellis law firm.
Bill Gates shared how the foundation wouldn¡¯t have existed without his contribution, ¡°One night in the 1990s, before we started our foundation, Melinda, Dad, and I were standing in line at the movies. Melinda and I were talking about how we had been getting more requests for donations in the mail."
He added, "Dad simply said, ¡®Maybe I can help.¡¯ The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would not be what it is today without my dad. More than anyone else, he shaped the values of the foundation. He was collaborative, judicious, and serious about learning. He was dignified but hated anything that seemed pretentious.¡±