Sharon Ruth Gates was born June 6, 1943, to LeRoy Ward and Reva Buck Graham in Little Rock, Arkansas. She grew up in Geary, Oklahoma where she graduated from Geary Public Schools.

She met John Gates at a dance at Tinker Air Force Base while she worked for the Oklahoman newspaper.  They married a year and a half later, January 18, 1963, in Geary, Oklahoma.

Sharon was a military spouse for twenty years. She worked as a Red Cross volunteer at the Wichita Falls base hospital in the 1970s and later worked as a Social Worker/Secretary for the Chaplain at a local hospital in Alexandria, Louisiana on her husband’s last assignment. They moved to several states, to Okinawa, all with children and supporting her husband’s military career.  She then worked for Earnie Hobreight at the abstract office, which led to a twenty-year position as Blaine County Clerk.

She loved to cross stitch, play piano at church, sing in the choir and the church trio. She and her husband loved to go camping in the motorhome and travel in the USA. They even joined a club and made many friends. Her favorite place to visit was New Orleans, Louisiana, where she would enjoy family, gumbo and beignets. Sharon was a member of the Christian Women’s Fellowship, Friends of the Library, Watonga Senior Citizen Center, and the Watonga Christian Church,

She is survived by her husband John of Watonga, OK, her daughter Shannon Sattler of Watonga, Ok and her son, John Gates, Jr. of Bethany, OK., her grandchildren; Alyssa Walker (husband Boone), Christina Sattler, Michael and Darian Gates, Dorian Gates, James Gates, and Victoria Gates, half-sisters, Paulette Ware (husband Patrick) and Marcia Dimmitt and husband Jerry, Step-brothers; Jimmy Looney (wife Nita), Randy Looney(wife Karen), as well as a great grandbaby, numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Sharon was preceded in death by her father LeRoy Ward, her Mother Reva Graham and stepmother Irene Ward and son-in-law Keith Sattler.

The family requested that in lieu of flowers please make donations to the Watonga Senior Citizens Center in her memory. Watonga Senior Citizens Center, 112 S. Noble Ave, Watonga, OK 73772

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, April 13, 2026, at Watonga Christian Church, Watonga, Oklahoma, with Pastor Adam Lovitt officiating. The burial will be a private family event at Geary Cemetery.

Services entrusted to Turner Funeral Home, Geary, OK, Condolences may be sent to the family at turnerfuneralhomes@gmail.com, turnerfh.net, or on Facebook at facebook.com/TurnerFuneralHomes.