Franklin W. Bates
FRANKLIN W. BATES, who liked to say that he worked for ARAMCO before there was an ARAMCO, passed away at age 90 on November 18, 2004 in Boynton Beach, Florida after a brief illness. He was a graduate of Culver Military Academy, Williams College and Harvard Law School, and served on the USS STEELE, a Destroyer Escort in WW II, for which he wrote the ship's log, subsequently published under the title of "Pacific Odyssey".
In 1937 Frank was associated with the San Francisco law firm of Pillsbury, Madison and Sutro, whose clients included Standard Oil of California, one of the parent companies of Aramco, for which he became West Coast Counsel in 1947, moving to the Beirut office in 1949. Frank served with Aramco, Tapline or AOC in San Francisco, Beirut, New York, The Hague, and Dhahran until his retirement in 1969.
In 1938 Frank married Marjorie, who predeceased him after a marriage of 56 years. He is survived by a sister, two children, three grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
More than all things, Frank loved to travel the globe. He was working on a book of his memoirs and his extensive collection of travel slides and photos before his passing.