Virgal "Rooster" Oates
June 23, 1931 — June 7, 2016
Chico ~ Virgal “Rooster” Oates, 84, owner of Oates Trucking, went to be with our Lord Tuesday, June 7, 2016 in Decatur.
Funeral is 2:00 p.m. Thursday, June 9, 2016, at Hawkins Funeral Home Chapel in Bridgeport with burial in Paradise Cemetery. Family will receive friends 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Rev. Ray Cook Jr. will officiate. Pallbearers include Wendell Bridges, Gerald Oates, Jerry Paul Oates, Pat Oates, Gaylen Oates, Stan Caruthers, Larry Cook, and Lonnie Holder. Honorary pallbearers are Ron Womack, Scott Erwin, and David Jenkins, David Oates, Ronnie Tackel, Dr. James Lindstrom, and Nathan Cleveland.
Virgal was born on June 23, 1931 to Willie and Grace (Bentley) Oates in Wise County. He was united in marriage to Betty Maddux on June 9, 1979 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Virgal proudly served his country in the United States Army. He retired from Natural Gas Pipeline and owned and operated Oates Trucking. Virgil was a member of the Moose Lodge, VFW, and Bridgeport Country Club. He was a former Paradise School Board Member.
Virgal was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, W.I. Oates, James Oates, Vernon Oates, Glenn Oates, Red Oates, Nelson Oates; his sisters, Claire Smith, and Helen Bentley.
Those left behind to cherish his memory are his wife of 37 years, Betty “Gee” Oates of Chico; his daughter, Marcy Oates Hudson and husband Bob of Runaway Bay; his son, Leslie Oates and wife Denise of Paradise; his daughter, Dana Oates Pomerance and husband Norman of Denton; his stepsons, Mike Fisher and wife Kathy of Covington, Texas, and Ricky Fisher and wife Barbara of Crafton; his grandchildren, Meredith Quach and husband Cha, Andy Hudson and wife Brandy, Tiffany Gonzalez and husband Rob, Stetson Oates and wife Leslie/aka: "Mini Me", Gracie Oates, Katherine Kincade and husband John, and Jeri Fisher; his great-grandchildren Cade, Cassidy, Cooper, Reece, Landry, Vera Kate, and Blakelee; his sisters, Janice Wilson of Rhome, and Sherry Gregory of North Richland Hills; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and a host of friends.
Memorial contributions can be made to the American Heart Association www.heart.org
Hawkins Funeral Home, Bridgeport, Texas, 940-683-2211