Geoffrey McNair Gates ’54

Geoff died Oct. 24, 2022.

He prepared at St. Paul’s School, where he participated in hockey, football, and publications.

An English major at Princeton, he wrote his senior thesis on “Social Responsibility of the Individual in the Modern American Novel.” He joined Tiger Inn, was on the art board of The Princeton Tiger, played rugby and hockey, and participated in the Student Christian Association. His other interests were writing, drawing, and photography.

After two years as a lieutenant in the Marine Corps, he embarked on a Wall Street career, initially with Bache & Co., and later with Laidlaw, Adams & Peck and then Sanders Morris Harris, and finally as an independent investor and consultant, specializing in mining stocks.

Geoff continued to enjoy drawing, becoming a talented illustrator and caricaturist and a collector of paintings by contemporary artists. He loved the abundance of the arts, popular culture, and social life in his 40 years of living in New York City.

Married to Wende Devlin in 1974, they raised three children and lived in New York City, then Darien, Conn., and Westfield, N.J.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Wende; son Christopher, daughter-in-law Kristina and their three sons, Soren, Charlie, and Field; son Bryan, daughter-in-law Meera and their two sons, Raj and Rishi; and daughter Julia ’04.