Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Barbara Gates

Barbara Gail Bright Gates died April 22, 2004.

She was born on January 18, 1942, in Prescott to the late Myrtle and William A. Bright.

Mrs. Gates graduated from Prescott High School and Henderson State University. She earned a MA in English from the University of Arkansas and was certified to be an administrator in 1991.

Mrs. Gates taught senior English for 27 years at Crossett High School where she was department head. In 1989, she became curriculum assistant to Superintendent John Fincher. Within her first year of administration she became interim superintendent serving the remainder of that year. She became superintendent of Crossett Public Schools in 1992. She retired as superintendent on June 30, 2001.

Professionally, Mrs. Gates was active in National Council of Teachers of English, AEA-NEA, Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators and Phi Delta Kappa. She served on the Southwest Arkansas Educational Co-op Board of Directors. Mrs. Gates also served in the 10-member forum for the American School Superintendent of the Danforth Foundation.

Community service included Ladies at Work and Rotary Club, where she served as president and where she was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow.

In 1990, she was awarded the Special Achievement Award from the Arkansas Educational Association. Also that year she was Crossett's Outstanding Woman of the Year. In 1993, she was the Lion's Club Citizen of the Year.

Mrs. Gates planned and helped organize the Adopt-a-School Program for the Crossett Schools and area businesses. This alliance promoted educational excellence, and it was one of the largest such programs in the nation.

Survivors include her husband Michael Gates of Crossett; one brother, William L. Bright and his wife Gail of Oklahoma City, Okla.; and many special nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held Sunday, April 25, 2004, at the First Baptist Church of Crossett with Rev. Larry White officiating. Interment followed in the Lakewood Cemetery under the direction of Jones Funeral Home of Crossett.

Memorials may be made to the Barbara Gates Memorial Scholarship fund through an account established at First National Bank of Crossett or made to the First Baptist Church Building Fund, 701 Main Street, Crossett 71635.