PRESTON HOLLOW — Ronald J. “Joey” Bates lived life both as a public servant and as a loving father, grandfather, and husband. At age 51, he died on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, following a short illness.

Mr. Bates was born in Preston Hollow on Nov. 9, 1967, in the midst of a “raging snowstorm,” his family wrote in a tribute. He was the only son of Ronald K. Bates and Nancy Bates Renz.

After graduating from Middleburgh High School, Mr. Bates started his own business, Bates Rubbish Removal, said his son, Kyle Bates. He ran the business for 10 years before he sold it and started a new chapter of his life in law enforcement.

Like his father before him — who was a sheriff’s deputy for 25 years — Mr. Bates joined the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, first as a corrections officer before becoming an investigator, and then a senior investigator, before going back on patrol as a deputy sheriff. He was also trained as a hostage negotiator and as a fire investigator.

In 2007, while working as a sheriff’s investigator, Mr. Bates discovered a suspicious check that led to uncovering over $300,000 stolen from local institutions by a former Rensselaerville supervisor. Residents and then-Chief Deputy Craig Apple praised him for his work, with Mr. Apple identifying him as an investigator who “was being very diligent in his job.”

Mr. Bates’s son said that he was careful to keep his work life separate from his home life while raising his four sons and “kept the evil away.”

Mr. Bates retired after 25 years of work with sheriff’s office. Following his retirement, he successfully ran for town justice in Rensselaerville. He was reelected in 2018 and had currently held the post. His son said that he wanted to continue to serve his community after leaving law enforcement. His family wrote that throughout his public service he was “known for being kind, respectful, and fair.”

Following retirement, Mr. Bates also became a caring grandfather. His son said he couldn’t wait to be with his grandchildren and spent all the time he had with them.

“He left one life for another,” said his son, who said Mr. Bates started watching his grandkids almost as soon as they were born, and put them first in his life.

Mr. Bates and Wanda Vance were wed on Aug. 9, 1987, and were married for 32 years, their marriage only ending in Mr. Bates’s death. The two met while working at Stiefel Laboratory in Oak Hill, in Greene County. They had their first date at a concert for the rock band Triumph and were together ever since, said their son. A family tribute describes them not only as a couple but also as best friends.

Mr. Bates had many lifelong friends. He loved the Adirondack Mountains and enjoyed camping, canoeing, hunting, and fishing. His son said that he looked forward to joining his “hunting buddies” every season. He was also well-known in the community and even in his death had people offering their support.

“He loved the community, and everybody was like family,” his son said.

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Mr. Bates is survived by his wife, Wanda Vance Bates; his sons, Kyle Bates, and his wife, Erika; Keith Bates and his fiancée, Kiersten Bendel; Kenneth Bates; and Killian Bates; his grandchildren, Keegan, Kallie, Kaelynn, Kellen, and Kelso Bates; his half-sister, Jennifer Renz; as well as a large extended family.

Calling hours will be held on Sunday, March 31, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the A. J. Cunningham Funeral Home at 4898 State Route 81 in Greenville. A service will be held on Monday, April 1, at 11 a.m. in the funeral home, followed by a burial in Brookside Cemetery in Preston Hollow. A reception will follow the burial at the Tri-Village Volunteer Fire Company in Preston Hollow.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Bayard Elsbree Memorial Park, in care of Clara Potter at 3077 State Route 145, Preston Hollow, NY 12469.

— H. Rose Schneider