Donald Jay Gates, 75, of 8580 Peters Road, Cranberry Township, died at 4:20 p.m. Saturday at the Beaver Medical Center.

Born June 7, 1930, in Fairmont, W. Va., he was the son of Myrtle Hannah Bunner Gates and the late Jay Dee Gates.

A 1948 alumnus of East Fairmont High School, he was a 1956 graduate of Fairmont State College and retired in 1990 from the U.S. Postal Service as a sergeant in postal security after 25 years. He was a Navy veteran.

Mr. Gates was a 30-year member and an usher of Dutilh United Methodist Church, Cranberry Township. He formerly belonged to the Walnut Grove United Methodist Church.

He enjoyed his family, sharing poetry, woodworking, reading, doing puzzles and bowling.

Surviving are his wife, Shirley Ann Nuzum Gates, to whom he was married for 40 years; two daughters and sons-in-law, Melissa and Gerard Pindroh of Cranberry Township and Melinda and Bruce Matthews of Harmony; two stepsons, Michael Keener of Fairmont and Steven Keener and his wife, Dottie, of Ellwood City; his mother; a brother, Barry Gates of Fairmont; four sisters, Dixie Swiger of Fairmont, Karen Lynn Peters of Georgetown, S.C., Sharon Lee Gates of Kentwood, Mich., and Rebecca Ann Saurborn and her husband, Terry, of Fairmont; and a sister-in-law, Sue Nuzum of Fairmont.

He also is survived by seven grandchildren, Cory Gates Pindroh, Andrew, Caleb, Devin and Daria Pindroh and Brandon and Jessica Matthews; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded by infant brothers, Jacob and Halleck Gates; and a sister, Jo Hannah Gerken.

<B>GATES</B> — Friends of Donald Jay Gates, who died Saturday, April 29, 2006, will be received from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. today and from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at the <B>Ford Funeral Home Chapel</B>, 201 Columbia St., Fairmont. Services will follow at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral chapel with the Rev. Steve Meadows officiating.