Barbara Bates

Barbara J. Bates, 79, passed away peacefully Monday, February 17, 2020, after a long illness, with which she dealt with courage and grace. Barbara graduated at the top of her class at North High School in Syracuse. In her younger years, she was an accomplished equestrian who competed at Madison Square Garden and earned a number of championship trophies. Barbara attended Syracuse University. During her career as a pioneering woman in construction, she was a project manager for a mechanical contractor in Houston, Texas, where she worked on some of the city's most prominent high-rise projects for global corporations. After retirement, she was an active member of the Manlius Senior Center, where she enjoyed playing Scrabble. Barbara was passionate about politics and an avid reader of non-fiction. Rarely without an animal companion, Barbara loved nature, visiting botanical gardens with her grandchildren, as well as music and art. One of her greatest joys was sharing her interests with her grandchildren. Barbara is survived by her daughters, Holly Rosenthal and Debbie Bates (Brian); her grandchildren Anna Tepper, Aiden Gaffney, and Grace Gaffney; her sister Janice Kilcoyne (Peter); and many nieces and nephews. Barbara will be honored in a private service at the Burns Garfield Funeral Home. Donations may be made to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center or the Nature conservatory.