Jay F. Bates was born April 27, 1933, in Plymouth, Indiana, the son of Harry W. and Olive H. (Ecker) Bates. He was a lifelong resident of Bourbon, graduating from Bourbon High School in 1951. He continued his education at Purdue University, studying agriculture from 1951-1952. Jay was a veteran of the United States Army, serving from 1953-1955 as a shovel crane operator. He received his basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, before transferring to Fountainbleu, France, just outside Paris, where he remained until his honorable discharge.

After returning home, he started a livestock hauling business that he operated until the mid 1970's hauling livestock out of the Chicago Union Stockyards. He was an active farmer in the community since 1960, raising grain crops and, for a time, Holstein replacement heifers. He turned the feedlot into Bates Corporation in 1980 and the tractor salvage business became known world-wide by specializing in new, used and rebuilt IH tractor parts. His daughters along with their spouses continue to own and operate the business today.

Jay married Sue Ann Haenes of Bremen, eloping on Valentine's Day 1969 to Watseka, Illinois. They had identical twin daughters, Patricia Ann (Brian) Kitch and Teresa Lynn (Kenneth) Barnhart and grandchildren Brandon Jay and Brooke Ann Kitch and Trenton Samuel and Travis Charles Barnhart.

Jay was a member of the Bourbon First United Methodist Church, Bourbon American Legion Post #424, Plymouth Masonic Kilwinning Lodge #149, Fort Wayne Scottish Rites, and Fort Wayne Mizpah Shriners. He was a charter member of the National Tractor Parts Dealer Association (NTPDA) and Northern Indiana International Harvester Collector’s Club Chapter #33.

He enjoyed traveling extensively with his family and noted that one of his greatest joys was exploring 48 of the 50 states all by car during summer vacations before his girls turned eighteen. He also enjoyed telling the story of driving his shovel crane while in the Army around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, twice, just because he could. Jay and Sue wintered in Haines City, FL, for twenty-nine years.

Jay passed away September 27, 2016, at home with his family by his side.

Memorials directed to the Marshall County Community Foundation will support the family's charity of choice through a permanent fund.