State Sen. Alan Bates of Medford died on Friday, Senate President Peter Courtney said Saturday. He was 71-years-old.
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“He left an indelible impression on OR, and I will miss him forever”, said Gov. Kate Brown in a statement Saturday. I can not imagine sitting in committee without him by my side.
Oregon’s senior senator, Ron Wyden, said that Bates would often moderate his town halls when he came to town and described as an important advisor on health issues.
“As a doctor and legislator, Alan succeeded mightily in making people’s lives better – a rich legacy that I remember as I mourn the sad news of his passing”, Wyden said in a release.
“The sudden passing of Doctor Bates is a great loss for our community and the State of Oregon”.
Buckley said Bates will be missed not only by his friends and family, but by the state at large.
Bates had gone on a fishing trip with his son. They stopped at this location to clean fish and Senator Bates walked down to the river. When he had not returned after a while, his son found him dead.
It appears that Senator Bates may have suffered some sort of medical event.
Bates was an osteopath who graduated from the Kansas City College of Osteopathic Medicine. “He was always a statesman and it was an honor serving with a fellow Vietnam Veteran and a gentleman”. In 1989 he was appointed to the state’s Health Services Commission.
Bates had served in the Senate since 2005 and was in the House for four years before that.
“Our hearts are in mourning today as we grieve the loss of our friend, Senator Alan Bates”.
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He later joked that “forever I’ll have to wear this around my neck, like an albatross”.
