Obituary of John Allen Cates

Chapel Hill - Mr. John Allen Cates died February 11, 2019 from vascular dementia following a lengthy illness at the DuBose Center at the Cedars Retirement Center.

He was born Spetember 2, 1929 to the late Frederick Strudwick Cates and Virginia Riley Cates in Hillsborough, NC.  He was a 1953 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BS and Law degree.  He founded Chapel Hill Realty and was a pioneer in developing land in Carrboro and Chapel Hill.  John Allen was a past president of the Board of Realtors, a Rotarian, a member of the Jaycees, a deacon at University Presbyterian Church,a past director of the Educational Foundation (Rams Club), and an early member of Old Chatham Golf Club.

John Allen is survived by his wife of 66 years, Anne Wilmoth Cates; daughters, Catherine Anne Cates of Atlanta, and Virginia Cates Bowie (Clyde), of Richmond, VA; three grandchildren, Findley Bowie, Anne Bowie Tew (William) and Parker Bowie Larson (Scott); three great grandchildren; and devoted niece, Diane Cates Egger (John).

In addition to his parents, John Allen was preceded in death by his sisters, Peggy Cates Bartow and Nancy Cates Beard, and his brother, Fred S. Cates, Jr.

There will be a private burial.  The family requests no flowers or contributions, and ask you to remember John Allen in better days.

The family would like to thank his two nurses who have been with John Allen for the past six years - Jeneba Tommy and Benjamin E. Burton.

The Cates family is under the care of Walker's Funeral Home of Chapel Hill.