 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
  |
Robert Bates
A Massachusetts native, Robert Bates arrived at Cranbrook in 1944 with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University. He became head of Cranbrook’s music department and served for 17 years before leaving to work at Christ Church Cranbrook as choir director and organist.
Bates taught music at Brookside Lower School and was the musical director at the St. Dunstan's Theatre Guild of Cranbrook for more than 20 years. He was also the head coach of the school's varsity baseball team. Bates is often remembered for leading the school assembly in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Each year's graduating class would also march and sing to his renditions of Mendelssohn's "War March of the Priests" and "Forty Years On." Bates was the recipient of a Cranbrook Foundation Founders Medal. |
 3/10/2008 - Philip Dondero
'Bob' was Cranbrook - at Christmas time, at 'Pirates' and 'Mikado' time, at cocktail parties and special occasions - there he was, playing the piano, smiling that warm and wonderful smile that made me feel so good to be a part of something beautiful, a part of Cranbrook and its people.
 |
