Monterey, CA

Helen Jean (Allee) Gates, of Monterey, passed away peacefully on March 20, 2024 at the age of 94.

She was born in Cumberland, Maryland, to William and Thelma Allee as one of five siblings. Upon graduation from high school in 1948, Jean traveled to San Francisco and married a Navy sailor, Raymond George Gates. They first settled in Prescott, AZ, where Ray worked in mining.

As their family grew, Ray joined the Border Patrol, and they were stationed in El Paso, Toronto, upstate New York, Chicago, and Concord, CA. After divorcing, Jean started her working career at JC Penney. A few years later, she moved to Fremont and then to Union City. She did office work for North American Transformer until she retired. Jean spent most of her retirement years in Monterey, CA, volunteering at Monterey Community Hospital, ushering at Sunset Center, and volunteering at Meals on Wheels. She enjoyed painting with oil and watercolors, creating pine needle baskets, and various handcrafts. Her final years were at the Faithful Care home in Salinas under the loving care of Rose, Frandy, Darling, Yonnie and Anthony. Jean is preceded in death by all her siblings and by her oldest son, Raymond.

Survivors include children Karen McCarran, Craig, and Keith, as well as eight grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren.