Almon Bate

Almon “Michael” Bate

June 28, 1957 ~ March 31, 2021

Almon Michael Bate, 63, of Roy, Utah, returned home to the arms of the Savior, on March 31, 2021. He died of natural causes while snowmobiling with his eldest son, near the Peter Sinks area of Logan, Utah.

Michael was born on June 28, 1957 in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Almon Junior and Roseann (Thompson) Bate. The Bate family moved around the country several times due to his father’s career. While living in Ohio as a young boy, the Bate family rented a home on an 80-acre farm. Michael would often go on walks with his siblings in the creek near their home. His sister, Cynthia, said this is where Michael developed his love for nature. The kids would often spend hours exploring the woods and not come home until dinnertime.

When Michael was in 7th grade his family moved to New Jersey and Michael had a paper route to earn some money. He would often ask his sister, Pamela, to go with him on collection day and he would treat her to an ice cream at Dairy Queen. His kind heart and love for serving others were qualities that he exemplified throughout his life. During his high school years, the Bate family lived in Walnut Creek, California. He could often be found hiking, camping, snowmobiling with his family, and working on cars, dirt bikes and snowmobiles.

Michael served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Canada Vancouver Mission. He often spoke of his love for the people he served there and for the beauty of the area.

Michael met his sweetheart and eternal companion, Debra Gale, when their older siblings, Cynthia Bate and Craig Gale, were getting married. Debbie recalled Michael sending a beautifully handwritten note to ask her out on a date. They were married in the Logan Utah Temple on June 27, 1979.  After several moves, they settled in Ogden, Utah, with their three young boys, Micah, Almon John, and Jared, when Michael took a job at IRS as a print specialist in 1985.

He was actively involved in the Boy Scout program as a leader while his boys were growing up and was a big part in each of them achieving their Eagle Scout Award.

Michael and Debbie later added two girls to their family, Michelle, and Alyson, and they reared their five children in their home in Ogden. In 2017, they sold their home of 23 years and moved to Roy, Utah.

Throughout their 41 years of marriage, Michael was always aware of doing the little things to dote on his beautiful wife to make her feel loved. He wouldn’t wait for just the special occasions to present her with gifts or flowers, and often remembered to pick up a favorite treat for her while out running errands.

He could often be found in the kitchen with an apron on, creating delicious meals and desserts for his family. His peanut brittle and fudge were legendary favorites around the holidays.

Michael was known for being an electric storyteller. He could paint a picture so clear in your mind that you would believe you were there and had experienced it for yourself. He was the king of telling jokes and his sly smile and a wink would have anyone in stitches, and he would laugh right along with you.

Every year, Michael would take his family on road trips to visit various National and State Parks. He was an avid outdoorsman and loved to go camping and hiking with his children and grandchildren. He encouraged his family to learn about the world around them and loved that his children and grandchildren were active participants in the Junior Ranger programs at each park he took them to. In 2019, Michael was excited to have finally reached the age to receive his lifetime National Parks pass.

Michael’s grandchildren knew that he would always have a pocketful of change for them anytime they saw him. One Christmas, he bought each grandchild their own piggy bank so they could have somewhere to keep their money. He would often bring a little bag of coins when he came for a visit and ask the grandkids to run and get their banks so they could count the coins together. He never missed an opportunity to teach and foster a love for learning, no matter how young the grandkids were.

The Bate family would like to express their sincerest gratitude to the Cache County Sheriff’s Department, Search and Rescue, AirMed and all other emergency personnel who responded so quickly when Michael passed away.

Michael is survived by his wife, Debra (Gale) Bate; his children, Micah (Cassidy) Bate, Layton, UT; Almon John (Kimberly) Bate, Odenton, MD; Jared (Jenna) Bate, Roy, UT; Michelle (Kaleb) Ashby, Washington Terrace, UT; and Alyson Bate, Roy, UT; eight grandchildren, McKenzie, Madison, Levi, Joshua, Hyrum, Matthew, Garrick and Richard, with two more on the way; and siblings, Cynthia (Craig) Gale, Almon Paul (Kim) Bate, Pamela (Steve) Maughan, and Almon Peter (Sarah) Bate. He was preceded in death by his parents, Almon Junior and Roseann (Thompson) Bate; his brother, Almon David Bate; and his two grandsons, Bryan and Isaiah Bate.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 17, 2021, at 11 a.m. at the Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd. Friends may visit with family on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the mortuary. Interment, Lindquist’s Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd. Services will be livestreamed by scrolling to the bottom of this obituary page.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Humanitarian Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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