Mosie was a true advocate and friend to the Club. Introduced to the Boys & Girls Club when he was a young professional, he quickly adopted the Club as his charity of choice.  He started by raising funds for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and eventually served 50 years on its National Board of Directors. While serving on the National Board, he stayed close to his local Club in Trenton. In 2012 he volunteered to serve as ‘Honorary Chair’ of our More Than Hope Campaign, which raised 7.5 million dollars to purchase and build our Spruce Street Community Center. Mosie was extremely proud of the progress made by our local Club, and its high standing with the national organization. His family and friends established the endowment fund in his name to continue his legacy of supporting the Trenton Club and the youth it serves.

Mosie’s Story:

Moore (Mosie) Gates, Jr., a lifelong resident of Princeton, passed peacefully and with grace from this world to the next on Saturday, November 30, 2019, after 93 years of doing his best to make the world a better place. He was surrounded by his devoted family and a dedicated team of caregivers.

Born August 28, 1926 in New York City, to Harryette (Reynolds) and Moore Gates, his family lived in Poughkeepsie, NY until 1937 when they moved to Princeton. As a young man, he fondly recalled mowing neighbor Albert Einstein’s lawn. The family spent summers in Lakeville, CT where he developed his love of golf and carded 2 holes-in-one within 8 days at the age of 16.

He was a student at Princeton Country Day, now Princeton Day School, before attending The Hill School. There he excelled at sports, becoming Captain of both the soccer and golf teams. He attended Princeton University in the Navy V-12 Officers Training Program, graduating with the Class of 1948. At Princeton, he captained the varsity golf and soccer teams and was a member of Cottage Club.

After graduation, he began his career in investment management at US Trust Co., becoming Senior Vice-President in the Trust Department. After leaving US Trust in 1979, he was a Principal in several smaller investment firms and retired from Gates, Wilmerding, Carper & Rawlings in 2008.

In 1953, Mosie met Audrey Weiss, the love of his life for over 65 years. They were married on February 13, 1954 and began a family that grew to include 4 children, many dogs and a few pet pigs. When the children were young, summers were spent on Lake Carmi in Franklin, VT where Audrey’s parents, Helen and Irwin Weiss, had a “camp”. Many happy memories of swimming, fishing, water skiing and cheerful dinners were made there. More recently, Audrey and Mosie rented houses on Martha’s Vineyard and in Mattapoisett, MA that allowed all 17 of the widely dispersed kids and grandkids to gather. Mosie was a reluctant skier but for many winters a ski house was rented in Woodstock, VT with 2 of his college classmates and their families. The laughter still rings in that house and the love of skiing lives on in several of his children and grandchildren. His skiing prowess, or lack thereof, earned him the nickname, “Max” after an imaginary Austrian ski legend!

Mosie generously gave his time to help others. The Boys and Girls Club of America benefited most from his commitment. He was a lifetime Board member, serving over 50 years, with 30 as National Treasurer. For many years, Mosie was Board Chair of the Rita Allen Foundation which provides funding for young scholars doing pioneering research on cancer, neuroscience, and palliative care. Under his care, it grew from a small family foundation into the important organization it is today. He also served on the Boards of the American Bible Society, Dorothea’s House, the Medical Center at Princeton and the Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church. A devout Christian, he was an Elder at Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton. He was very active in the Princeton University Alumni Association, serving at various times as Class President, Class Secretary, and Class Treasurer.

Mosie had a passion for the game of golf. He was a lifelong member of Springdale Golf Club in Princeton and of Pine Valley Golf Club for 53 years. He also enjoyed many outings as a member of the US Seniors Golf Association. At Springdale, he holds the distinction of winning a major club tournament in each of the last 8 decades, beginning with a victory in the 1943 Member/Guest and ending with a win in the 2011 C.W. McGraw Tournament, playing alongside son, Bill. In all, his name appears 17 times on various boards in the clubhouse. He was also a member of Princeton Investors Group and the Nassau Club.

Mosie was predeceased by his brother, Harris, in 2006 and leaves behind his beloved wife of 65 years, Audrey (Weiss) Gates, 4 children; David and wife, Stacy (Bowman) of Manchester, VT; Bill and wife, Anne (O’Neill) of Princeton; Tom and wife Tracey (Willis) of Pennington, and Susan Gates Pottinger and husband Michael of Cape Town, South Africa as well as 7 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.

A consummate optimist, Mosie was a man of deep faith and exceptional character, integrity, and kindness. The memory of his endearing smile and sparkling personality will live with us forever.