Obituary for Paul J. Gately
Paul Jackman Gately told stories.
Over the course of five decades, by his own estimate, he cranked out 65,000 of them at the four newspapers, two TV stations and half dozen radio stations at which he worked from 1970 to 2021 as a reporter, an editor, an anchor, and an assistant news director.
He wrote about schools, city government, county commissioners and courts, but he also wrote about crime, and his interest the unsolved murder of a local schoolgirl in 1982 was a partial catalyst for the creation of the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit.
But mostly he wrote about ordinary people.
On a slow July afternoon not too many years ago, he wrote a simple story about a woman dedicated to caring for neglected animals who agreed to foster a Chihuahua that was 15 years old and not expected to live much longer.
“As she was sitting in the office holding the little dog, she felt the dog’s labored breathing and then felt the breathing stop,” Paul wrote. “And sure enough, the little animal sensed the love and security the woman provided, even for that short period of time, and slipped away quietly.”
Paul slipped away quietly from us on Monday May 24 at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center after a short illness at the age of 70, leaving behind not only a grieving family, but also heartbroken journalists across the country whom he took under his wing as they were starting out.
Paul was born on March 10, 1951 in Waco to Neil and Mae Pearl (Elizabeth) Gately.
He graduated in 1969 from San Marcos Baptist Academy, of whose Alumni Association he was a proud member; in 1972 from Hill College, where he studied music education, and in 1976 from Baylor University, where he studied music and journalism.
He was a U.S. Air Force veteran, and after he was honorably discharged on Sept. 27, 1978, he joined KWTX as an anchor and reporter.
He went on to work for a list of newspapers and radio stations and then joined the staff of KXXV in the late 1980s.
He built wooden picture frames and furniture, worked as an assistant to a Central Texas state representative, co-founded a weekly newspaper in the 1990s in Gatesville called “The Radio Post,” and in 2007 returned to KWTX as assistant news director, a position he held until his semi-retirement in 2017.
He continued to contribute stories to KWTX. He submitted his last one just a week before he fell ill.
“He believed in people before they believed in themselves,” said one of the many young journalists whom Paul adopted.
“He was always there when you needed him,” another said, recalling his efforts to make sure the young reporters and photographers under his supervision always had a place to go and a good meal to eat over the holidays.
Cooking, in fact, was another of Paul’s passions.
At Eastwood Baptist Church, where he was a member from 2004 until his death, he served as a deacon and for many years cooked every Wednesday night for the congregation.
He also performed in many of the church’s Christmas musicals over the years.
He had a servant’s heart, and nothing mattered more to him than serving the Lord and loving his family and friends. His daughter, son-in-law, granddaughters and great granddaughters were a source of great pride and joy for him.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Sandy; his daughter, Julie Schronk and her husband Brian; granddaughter Lauren Holt and her husband Cody, and great granddaughters Hadley and Hyland, and granddaughter Shawna Schronk and Jordan. He is also survived by brothers David Gately and his wife Cathy, and Steven Gately and his wife Gloria, as well as their children.
Over the course of five decades, by his own estimate, he cranked out 65,000 of them at the four newspapers, two TV stations and half dozen radio stations at which he worked from 1970 to 2021 as a reporter, an editor, an anchor, and an assistant news director.
He wrote about schools, city government, county commissioners and courts, but he also wrote about crime, and his interest the unsolved murder of a local schoolgirl in 1982 was a partial catalyst for the creation of the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit.
But mostly he wrote about ordinary people.
On a slow July afternoon not too many years ago, he wrote a simple story about a woman dedicated to caring for neglected animals who agreed to foster a Chihuahua that was 15 years old and not expected to live much longer.
“As she was sitting in the office holding the little dog, she felt the dog’s labored breathing and then felt the breathing stop,” Paul wrote. “And sure enough, the little animal sensed the love and security the woman provided, even for that short period of time, and slipped away quietly.”
Paul slipped away quietly from us on Monday May 24 at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center after a short illness at the age of 70, leaving behind not only a grieving family, but also heartbroken journalists across the country whom he took under his wing as they were starting out.
Paul was born on March 10, 1951 in Waco to Neil and Mae Pearl (Elizabeth) Gately.
He graduated in 1969 from San Marcos Baptist Academy, of whose Alumni Association he was a proud member; in 1972 from Hill College, where he studied music education, and in 1976 from Baylor University, where he studied music and journalism.
He was a U.S. Air Force veteran, and after he was honorably discharged on Sept. 27, 1978, he joined KWTX as an anchor and reporter.
He went on to work for a list of newspapers and radio stations and then joined the staff of KXXV in the late 1980s.
He built wooden picture frames and furniture, worked as an assistant to a Central Texas state representative, co-founded a weekly newspaper in the 1990s in Gatesville called “The Radio Post,” and in 2007 returned to KWTX as assistant news director, a position he held until his semi-retirement in 2017.
He continued to contribute stories to KWTX. He submitted his last one just a week before he fell ill.
“He believed in people before they believed in themselves,” said one of the many young journalists whom Paul adopted.
“He was always there when you needed him,” another said, recalling his efforts to make sure the young reporters and photographers under his supervision always had a place to go and a good meal to eat over the holidays.
Cooking, in fact, was another of Paul’s passions.
At Eastwood Baptist Church, where he was a member from 2004 until his death, he served as a deacon and for many years cooked every Wednesday night for the congregation.
He also performed in many of the church’s Christmas musicals over the years.
He had a servant’s heart, and nothing mattered more to him than serving the Lord and loving his family and friends. His daughter, son-in-law, granddaughters and great granddaughters were a source of great pride and joy for him.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Sandy; his daughter, Julie Schronk and her husband Brian; granddaughter Lauren Holt and her husband Cody, and great granddaughters Hadley and Hyland, and granddaughter Shawna Schronk and Jordan. He is also survived by brothers David Gately and his wife Cathy, and Steven Gately and his wife Gloria, as well as their children.