T. J. Bates, Jr., age 79 of Seguin, passed away on August 23, 2009. Visitation will be held Tuesday, August 25, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. with family receiving friends from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Tres Hewell Mortuary. Funeral service will be held Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. at Tres Hewell Mortuary Chapel with Rev. Jim Price officiating. Interment will follow in San Geronimo Cemetery. T. J. was born on September 12, 1929 in Little Rock, Arkansas to Thurman J. and Ruth Bates. He is preceded in death by his son, Tee Bates; his parents; his sister, Judy Raum and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ross and Laura Tondre. Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Roslyn T. Bates; daughter, Lynn Messmore and husband, Russell; daughter-in-law, Sherry Bless Bates Christen and her children, Claudia and Clint; granddaughter, Kara Bolf and fiancé, Chad Gann; great- granddaughter, Marlee Gann; niece, Jeri Lynne Houghton; nephew, Jim Raum and a host of friends. A graduate of Texas A & M Class of 1952, T. J. was a dedicated member of the Aggie Club through the years. After college, he served in the United States Air Force for 2 years at Lackland AFB. An active business life as well as family life followed in Dallas, Killeen, McQueeney and Seguin. He was President of the Killeen Chamber of Commerce. A charter member of the Rotary Club in Killeen, he also served as President there in 1971. In 1992, he was President of the Seguin Rotary Club. A member of First United Methodist Church in Seguin, he was also a member of the Seguin Elks Lodge #1229 and the American Legion H U Wood Post #245. T. J. was an avid golfer and loved living in Lake McQueeney for 30 years. Family, community and business were everything in his life. Serving as pallbearers will be Mark Long, Bruce Whitis, Bradley Whitis, Tommy Harper, Bob Savage and Chad Gann. Honorary pallbearers will be Billy Bless, Billy Wade Lovette, Kenneth Pape, Bubba Kolar, James Dietz, Al Koebig, Brent Whitis, Barton Whitis, Jim Savage, Tommy Thompson, George Dishman and Maurice Hilbert. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Seguin Rotary Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 205, Seguin, TX 78156 or the Tee Bates Memorial Scholarship Fund at Texas Lutheran University, 1000 West Court St., Seguin, TX 78155-9989.