Cory James Cates, of Cold Spring, New York, passed away from cardiac arrest on Monday, May 6, 2024. He was 49.
Cory was born on June 11, 1974, in Santa Rosa, California, to Dick and Barbara Cates. He was the oldest of three boys and excelled as both a student and athlete in high school. He attended Oklahoma Baptist University as an honors student, where he studied physics and math.
In 1996, Cory married his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, Kari Jo Harris Cates. For 28 years, she was his best friend, adoring wife and ever-present companion. Being Kari Jo’s husband and the father of their children — Nathan (25), Henry (21), Caroline (19), and Betsy (18) — was Cory’s greatest privilege in life.
Cory and Kari Jo moved to New York City for graduate school, where Cory earned a Ph.D. in applied physics at Columbia University. After 25 years in the city, the Cates family moved to Cold Spring, New York, full-time in 2020.
Cory was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. He generously shared his time and talents at both St. Philip’s Church in the Highlands in Garrison, New York, and Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, where he served as a long-time elder and community group leader.
Cory was a deep thinker and a patient listener, making him invaluable to friends seeking counsel. He loved and served his neighbors well, whether by helping someone in his community move apartments or bushwhack a local hiking trail. Children of all ages were drawn to his calm, quiet spirit; Cory coached West Side Soccer and Little League and was counted on as a problem solver. He had a brilliant mind and a humble heart.
Professionally, Cory had been the Chief Information Officer of Longevity Holdings since 2013, responsible for technology and analytics. Prior to joining the firm, Cory worked at Credit Suisse for eight years. He was a man of the highest integrity and was deeply respected by his colleagues.
In addition to his wife and children, Cory is survived by his mother, Barbara, and brothers, Danny Cates (Stacy), of Kansas City, Kansas, Lieutenant Commander Jacob Cates (Morgan), of Honolulu, Hawaii, and his adoring nieces and nephews: Austin, Audrey, John and Joey. Cory was preceded in death by his father, James Richard “Dick” Cates.
The Cates family will hold a service to honor Cory in New York City at Redeemer Presbyterian Church’s West 83rd location on June 1, at 1 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to City Seminary of New York, P.O. Box 5536, New York, NY 10027 (cityseminaryny.org).
