John Riley Yates

John Riley “Johnny” Yates, 68, of Abilene, passed away Friday, April 20, 2018.  A memorial service will be held at 11:30 am on Wednesday, April 25, 2018 at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road.  Committal services will follow at 1:00 pm at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene.  Rev. David Cason will officiate.

Johnny was born August 23, 1949 in Brady, Texas to John Ruben Yates and Elva May (Stanford).

Johnny served in the United States Army, 173rd Airborne.

He married Carol Ann Gray on September 1, 1975. Johnny worked as an independent insurance adjuster.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Johnny is survived by his wife, Carol Yates of Abilene; five children, Jaque and Rowdy Bullard, and Jeff and Beth Yates of Abilene, Kim and Jeff O’Donnell, Karen Daniel, all of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Kay Koziol of Dallas; as well as five sisters Arlene McKenney, Paula Parks, Virginia Yates, Judi Austin, Renee Yates, Donna Yates and several grandchildren and  great-grandchildren he dearly loved. Best friends Bill and Karen Ward he considered as brother and sister, as well as many more loved ones. We will all miss him and hope we meet again in the next life.

Memorials may be made in Johnny’s honor to the Breast Cancer Awareness, American Heart Association, or the American Diabetes Association.