Obituary of James Troy (Coach) Cates Sr.
Funeral services for James Troy (Coach) Cates Sr. (80) will be 2:00p.m. Friday, March 1, 2019 at Forest Ridge Funeral Home Memorial Park Chapel. Family will receive friends between 1:00 - 2:00p.m. before services. Jim passed away February 27, 2019 after years of dementia. Jim as born in Crenshaw, Mississippi on June 15, 1938 to Lavern Foster and Argie Ree Overall Cates. He played in the Miss. Cotton fields as a boy with the great singer, Charley Pride. Coach Cates moved to Longview, Texas in 1961 to begin his coaching career at Pine Tree High School. Jim and family moved to Bedford in 1967 and has been an educator and a coach in the HEB, Birdville and Mabank ISD and several private schools. In 1980 he founded the Cates Insurance Agency. Jim returned to coaching in 2002 and won State high school basketball championships in 2005 and 2006 at Bedford Christian School. Jim and Millie married June 9, 1957 and celebrated their 61st anniversary in 2018. Jim graduated from Tunica, Mississippi High School in 1956 where he was a star athlete in football, basketball and baseball. He graduated from Memphis State University in 1961 with a science major and PE minor. In later years, he loved to fish at his Cedar Creek Lake house and played Fantasy Baseball with his son Troy. Jim and Troy were very successful playing it. He was a member of Meadow Creek Baptist Church. His life passion was the Boston Red Sox baseball team. For years, he and Millie went to Florida for Spring training. Please consider any remembrances for the Alzheimer’s Association. Jim was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. His love and kindness will be missed by all who knew him. Left behind to cherish his memory are his wife Mildred (Millie) Claire Fikes Cates, son James Troy Cates Jr. and Janelle, daughter Vickie Lynn Potter Davis, grandchildren James (Jim) Cates III, Caleb Potter and Meredith, Argie Potter and Clinton Potter, great-grandchildren Anna, Andrew, and Alice Potter. Jim also leaves behind several cousins and aunts. Coach Cates is preceded in death by his brother Bobby Ray Cates.
