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Loren Jay Bates, 75

| January 16, 2021 1:00 AM

Loren Jay Bates, 75, passed away on Monday, January 11, 2021, in Sandpoint, Idaho. He was born in Los Angeles, California, on April 25, 1945, to Revis Lee Bates and Marion Hazel Huckle. He was preceded in death by this mother, father, and brother, Burton Ellicott of Grants Pass, Oregon.

Loren grew up in the Los Angeles area before moving to Reno, Nevada, to attend the University of Nevada-Reno Mackay School of Mines. His education was interrupted by a tour in Vietnam in 1967-1968, after which he graduated with a degree in geology. Loren worked for the Eagle-Picher diatomaceous earth facility east of Reno and eventually rose to become plant superintendent.

He met his wife of 46 years, Anna Hunter, in Reno on a blind date; they were married five months later on June 1, 1974, in Virginia City, Nevada. Loren and Anna continued to live in the Reno area until 1984, when they moved to Sandpoint, Idaho.

Loren taught himself blacksmithing while in Reno and always had the desire to work for himself. After moving to Sandpoint, he was encouraged by Bob and Sally Lindemann to sell his creations at their Cottage Craftsman shop on First Avenue. From there, he began participating in arts and crafts fairs, and his demonstration booth was a fixture for 11 years at the Pend Oreille Arts Council Arts and Crafts Fair on City Beach. Although Loren's main body of work was home décor items, he also crafted custom gates, porch railings, and light fixtures. He was knowledgeable about a lot of things and was talented at whatever he tried. He also loved horses and steam-powered engines of all sizes.

Loren's pride and joy was a one-of-a-kind 22-foot steel-hulled boat hand-built in Sandpoint. When he bought it, the deck had disintegrated, the wheelhouse was nothing but a frame, and the hull was in need of work. It took several years of hard work for Loren to bring it back to life, but when he did, the Royal Yot, which was often described as a tugboat, acquired many fans on Lake Pend Oreille.

Loren was a man of integrity, kind and faithful, and liked by all who knew him. He will be missed by his daughter, Cassidy Bates of Tucson, Arizona; brother, Fredrick Bates of Sandpoint; sister, Melissa Vannoy of Athol; niece, Cheryl Jones and husband Mark of Cocolalla; and especially by his wife, Anna.

Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Loren’s online memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his guest book.