Cover photo for Nicholas Carroll Gates's Obituary
1954 Nicholas 2019

Nicholas Carroll Gates

December 11, 1954 — August 2, 2019

Nicholas Carroll Gates was born December 11, 1954 in Los Angeles, California, the youngest of three children, to Howard Stiles Gates and Crystelle Clark Gates.  He came home from the hospital to a beautiful vine-covered Tudor-style home in Altadena and spent the rest of his life in that home, until he married Jolyn Christiansen Meyer, after having met and had a friendship with her 40 years earlier at Brigham Young University. They married in the Provo City Center temple, August 6, 2016.
When he was in high school, he honed his persuasive skills by selling the most candy bars in the school’s fundraiser and won himself a small TV.  He took voice lessons from a teacher in Hollywood and sang in the high school choir, occasionally singing solos. He also sang in the Men’s Choir at BYU, performing in Pirates of Penzance and the opera, Tosca.  He especially loved classical music.  He took art classes outside of school and enjoyed drawing.  He loved films, doing voice impressions and writing.  He dabbled in poetry and even wrote a movie script. Playing with words and thinking up puns amused him and said it kept his mind sharp.  Some puns were very clever and funny, others tended to be on the corny side.
As he was growing up, he went on many hikes with his father who was an avid hiker.  When he was a Scout, they went on a 50-mile hike to Waugh Lake in the High Sierras.
Nick loved holidays, especially Halloween, and decorated the house for many years.  His holiday artistic skills even netted him a picture and article in the local newspaper.  People came from all over the area to see his decorations.  Thanksgivings and Christmases were spent with relatives at the ocean, which Nick loved, or at the home in Altadena.
Beginning in 1974, he served 2 years in the Taipei Taiwan Mission, and developed a life-long love for the Chinese language and people.  He attended Pasadena City College for 2 years, then BYU, until his health required him to return home to Altadena.  Once home, and seeing his parents needed help because of their declining health, he spent his next 25 years assisting, then caring first for both parents, then just his mother.  Occasionally he took trips with family members.
Nick loved serving in the temple and has been a worker in both the Los Angeles and Provo temples.  He loved traveling to, and attending various temples, as well as following the progress of the building and dedication of the different temples throughout the world.
He loved missionary work and looked for opportunities to share the gospel and his testimony.  He dedicated his life to serving others and what was most important to him was listening to the Spirit and following those spiritual impressions to guide his life.  He lived a life full of goodness and has been an uplifting influence in the lives of many.  He is loved and will be greatly missed.
Nicholas is survived by his wife of three years, Jolyn Christiansen Meyer Gates of Provo, UT, two stepsons, James R. Meyer (Meagan), Eric R. Meyer (Crystal), a sister, Gayle V. Clark (Bruce) of West Jordan, UT, sister-in-law, Jean B. Gates (Stephen) of West Valley, UT, five grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his father, his mother, and his brother.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, August 6, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. in the Provo Parkway Stake Center at 2801 West 620 North, Provo, UT.  Friends and family may call at 9:45-10:45 prior to the services for the viewing.  Burial will be interred at Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, California, 2400 Fair Oaks Avenue.
To send flowers to the family in memory of Nicholas Carroll Gates, please visit our flower store.

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Tuesday, August 6, 2019

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Tuesday, August 6, 2019

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