WINTHROP – Harry E. Bates, 94, died Friday, June 8, at the Heritage Rehabilitation and Living Center in Winthrop.

He was born in Pendleton, N.Y., on Aug. 15, 1912, the only child of the Rev. Andrew and Jessie (Jackson) Bates. He was a graduate of Oswego Normal School in 1932 and Gorham State College (now the University of Southern Maine) in 1968. He began his industrial arts teaching career in New Canaan, Conn. He later taught at Cony High School, Lewiston High School and Mt. Blue High School.

Harry worked in the poultry industry for many years, raising broilers and laying hens on farms in the Gardiner and Monmouth areas while working for Wirthmore Feeds and several poultry processing companies including CMT, Phil Cohen and Lipman Brothers. In 1948, he won the Maine Chicken of Tomorrow contest and placed third nationally.

On July 2, 1934, he married Delphine (Weed) Bates, who died in 1995.

He is survived by a son, Harrison Bates and his wife, Connie, of Winthrop; a daughter, Diana Clark and her husband, Richard, of Gorham; grandchildren, Brenda Deprey of South Gardiner, Michael Swanson of Mt. Vernon, Julie Hamner and Jill Abbott of Winthrop, Jaren Bates of Charlotte, N.C., Wendy Anderson of Gorham, N.H., and Beth Clark of Vancouver, B.C.; five great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

He was also predeceased by his daughter, Jacquelyn Bates, in 2003.

Harry’s family would like to express their deep and sincere gratitude to the staff of the Heritage Rehabilitation and Living Center for their dedication and the compassionate care Harry received during the final months of his life. They would also like to thank the Winthrop Ambulance Service and Police Department for their services.