Obituary of John J. Oates

Oates, John J. of Allendale, NJ died peacefully at home on February 12th. He was 91years old. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri and moved to the New York area when he was five. He grew up in Queens, NY, was educated at Bishop Loughlin High School in Brooklyn, and graduated with a BS from the City College of NY. He played varsity basketball for City College while an undergraduate. He enjoyed coaching basketball and baseball and was an enthusiastic golfer. Always interested in reading and learning, he served on the Midland Park Memorial Library's Board of Directors for several years. As a young man he sang in the church choir and maintained a love of music all his life. His professional life was spent primarily in the paint and coating industry, first as a chemist, then technical director, and ultimately in technical sales and marketing with Troy Chemical Corporation. Throughout his career, he received several awards for technical papers he authored. His activities in the professional group, The Federation of Societies for Coating Technology, consisting of more than 7,000 chemists and engineers practicing in the coating industry, led to his election in 1978 as president of that body. As president he represented the US Coating Industry in Europe, Asia and Australia. He retired in 1987 as vice president of Troy Chemical Corporation. For fifteen years following his retirement, as a senior, he audited a wide variety of courses at Ramapo College. He was an avid reader and had a lifetime love of learning. He attended the Church of the Nativity in Midland Park, NJ, for more than 57 years. He was an active parishioner, coached Nativity's first basketball teams for several years and was active in the Religious Education Program. He is survived by Louise, his wife of more than 66 years, his children, Michael, Anne Louise, Daniel, John David, Mary, their spouses and 5 grandchildren. Also surviving are his sister, Kay O'Brien, and his brother, Eugene Oates. Visitation will be on Sunday, February 15th from 2:00 to 6:00 PM at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, www.vpfh.com, 257 Godwin Ave., Wyckoff, NJ.A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:30 AM on Monday, February 16, at the Church of the Nativity, 315 Prospect Street, Midland Park, NJ. Interment at Christ the King Cemetery will be private for the family.