If you read my earlier tribute to Millard Bates, you know there are plenty of people touched by his time as a teacher, coach, driving instructor, and referee. His time at Salem’s Parrish and Leslie Jr. High Schools generated plenty of responses to his death on April 20th. This is just a sampling of reflections from so many of you commenting from various locations. Enjoy.
Millard was an icon in the Salem officiating community. Millard has reffed my games, my son’s games and my granddaughter’s games. This is something many of the Salem community can say. I was privileged to work with Millard in both football and basketball and learned a lot from him! Godspeed my friend! -Ron Pahle, long time Salem area official
We refereed so many games together. He loved the kids so much. -Longtime referee Jeff Hilfiker
People just saw the bigger than life side of Millard on the court. He was a stickler for knowing the rule book. Millard was my mentor when I first began officiating in 1975 and he loaned me his rule book from the previous year to study. It was amazing how beat up it was. There was a lot of yellow highlighter and corner marked pages. His rule book looked that way every year. He really was an ambassador of the game. He loved the game of basketball, but I think he loved the people more. The great thing is the people loved him right back. -Steve Bulen, former Salem Basketball Officials Association Chief
He reffed my games when I was playing in high school. One of the best. RIP -Longtime basketball coach Greg Nolz
I can’t say enough about my friend Millard. He was great for the game of basketball and loved officiating and kids. He was an even better person. RIP my friend. -Longtime North Salem boys basketball coach Chuck Robinson
Loved when he reffed our games! What a great guy. -Kristin Yankus (Wynn), former McNary girls basketball standout
I watched the (assault) game in 2003 at Hoopla… (Millard) was not attacked from behind. Millard made a questionable call on a player. It sent an opposing team’s kid to the line and he made the free throws to win an intense-close game. The offending kid was already angry because of the foul being called with seconds left. He ran over to Millard and and shoved him hard with both hands. Millard fell back and hit his head on the pavement… He started bleeding. The paramedics were called. The offending player was later charged with battery. -Salem area author David Espinosa
After it (the assault on Millard at Hoopla) happened and word spread amongst the Hoopla participants, many were shocked and angry. Several of them–former Salem areas basketball players and former college players including my oldest son—went looking for the culprit. He had already fled the scene, which was lucky for him as the group would have done him some harm. I think that speaks to the love and respect players who Millard had refereed over the years felt about him. -Steve Masten, former McKay and Sprague head basketball coach, and father of Oregon State hoops standout Adam Masten
I was so sad to hear this. He and Charlie are making calls from above. My dad would have been very saddened by his passing. He always enjoyed Millard. -Amy Mitchell, daughter of longtime and late basketball official Charlie Mitchell (2017)
This is a loss for so many people. He is a once in a lifetime type of person who touched so many lives. -Tony Treat, Silverton
It's a sad day to hear of Millard's passing. He and I did cardiac rehab almost 2 years ago for several months together. We talked, laughed about our tickers and remembered the fun of local basketball and how he officiated it. With gusto indeed! Like any ref, we may not have all agreed with every call he made, but he was right more often than not. He loved teaching the little kids the rules as they played. He was a fun filled, Godly man that I appreciated and loved more as we got to know about each other. No official could "sell" a call like Millard or knew the rules better. His traveling calls were memorable and resembled a 60s dance move with his rolling hands and arms. I will miss you, my friend. -Mike Allegre, retired Willamette University sportscaster
He was my Driver's Ed teacher so many years ago and I enjoyed every minute with him. He cracked me up! I fell asleep once in his class and he came up beside me and made an alarm clock sound very loudly by my ear. Such a nice man and great teacher. -Judi Piske Morley, Keizer
Our coach/ref relationship was always one of mutual respect, at least that is how I perceived it. I always knew that Millard would out-work every other official to make sure he was in position to make the best call possible. I didn't always agree with his calls, but I knew he was giving 100% effort to get it right. The thing I liked most about Millard was what a nice, kind person he was, both on and off the court. He always came up to me and said hi before games, and I remember feeling good about him working our game because I knew what we were going to get. I think anyone that can ref as many years as he did is a very special person. RIP my friend. -Larry Gahr, longtime basketball coach, McNary High School
What a wonderful character!! Fortunate to have taught with him in Driver's Ed (more than a few stories there--like he was the one who passed my daughter for the rest of the auto world to face) Watched him ref/ump both my kids and ump many of my slow pitch (softball) games (tons more stories)!! THANKS MILLARD!! -Mike Welby, longtime Salem-Keizer teacher
He was the Best! RIP Millard. -Roy Rhines, three sport athlete, McNary High School
He was a fantastic man… nobody could light up a room like Millard! -Pete Shepard, former head basketball coach, Sprague High School
So sad. Loved him. Best ref to have. The kids loved him. -Terri Robinson, longtime educator and coach, Salem-Keizer Schools
What a warm and fitting tribute to a one of a kind man! His commitment to teaching and always taking time for students, players and coaches was unparalleled… I could never call him Millard, even when seeing him working at games. -Phil Beard, South Salem High grad, longtime employee of Blazer Broadcasting
He made so many officials better! Better people better referees!! Just an amazing man. -Fred Martin, Veteran basketball official
Millard Bates was a very close and inspirational friend for me as a younger teacher. From coaching against him when he was at Parrish, weekly Bible study prayer group (yes, in the school), playing beside him as guards on our Leslie faculty basketball team, watching him slide into a group of cheerleaders along the sideline, laughing, teasing, and joking in the faculty room every morning before classes, listening to his driver-ed stories, to watching him come to football practice as my assistant coach, dressed in full uniform and ready to scrimmage with the team, he was my role model and the spirit who motivated me to keep coaching student athletes until the very end of my 41-year career. I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye, but I will see him again someday in Glory to thank him. Loved you like a brother. "Holy Toledo" "Goodnight Nurse" "Mercy Bear" -Mike Cooley, former social studies teacher, Leslie Jr. High