William Arthur "Bill" Yates, 86, Father of four, retired Department of Defense employee, farmer and longtime resident of Charles County died on August 18, 2012 at Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Mr. Yates was born on June 23, 1926, in Wilmington, Delaware to Kenneth Smith and Mary Lavinia Yates. He grew up in the town of Titusville, New Jersey, the sixth of seven siblings. He attended Titusville Elementary School, graduated from Pennington Central High School, and received permission to enlist in the Navy before his formal graduation in order to serve his country during World War II. During the war he served on transport escort ships in the Pacific theatre.

After the war he attended Kent State University in Kent, Ohio under the GI Bill and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree. Following his college graduation Bill married the former Maria Teresa Nunziato of Matawan, New Jersey; together they raised their four surviving children: Susan, Robert, Ellen and William, on a farm in Nanjemoy, Maryland. Bill had a passion for farming which resulted from his work on the "Yates Home Place" and summer work on his Uncle's farm in New Jersey.

Bill's professional life consisted primarily of service for over 30 years as a Budget Analyst for the Department of the Navy, where he worked from the Pentagon in Arlington, VA and offices in Crystal City and Ballston, Virginia.

Mr. Yates was an avid reader, nutritionist, greatly accomplished singer, wonderful dancer and community volunteer. His other hobbies included farming, ping pong, horseshoes, hunting, fishing, swimming, financial management, watching sports on television and 'tinkering.' For the past several years Mr. Yates shared a residence with Mrs. Mary "Mae" Dellner of Whiting, New Jersey and his constant companion, Grizzly the Cat.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents and four brothers: Kenneth, Lewis, Richard and Theodore.

He is survived by his former wife, four children, twin sister Jeanne Marie Bickford, and younger sister Phyllis Elaine Marvin. His energy, voice, dancing acumen, wit and passion for life will be greatly missed.