George "Allen" Cates

George Allen Cates, 1929-2023 of Cheyenne, died peacefully on October 14 at Cottonwood Creek in Cheyenne. Allen was born to Noble and Celestine Cates on September 28, 1929, in Gillette, WY. His folks homesteaded outside Gillette, and he would go on to graduate from Campbell County HS in 1948. Allen would join the US Air Force after his college career was cut short due to the Blizzard of 49. The Air Force led him to Biloxi, MS where he met the love of his life, Lydia Ganucheau. They married June 8, 1957, had six children, and eventually settled in Cheyenne after 23 years of service in Air Force. Following his retirement from the Air Force, Allen spent many years working at Dineen's in a variety of roles, until he finally retired.
Allen will be remembered as a man of God, devoted husband, dedicated father, loving grandfather, and cherished friend to many. He spent his entire life putting the needs of his wife and family before all else.
Allen is survived by his six children, Maureen (Dave) Florita, Jeanne (Bob) Van Risseghem, Steve Cates, and Kevin (Teryl) Cates, all of Cheyenne, Michael (Shelly) Cates of Windsor CO, and Dan (Ann) Cates of Eugene OR; as well as 21 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother, Norbert; and his wife of 65 years, Lydia.
Vigil for the Deceased will be Thursday, 6:00 p.m., at Wiederspahn-Radomsky Chapel.
Funeral Liturgy will be Friday, 11:00 AM at St. Mary's Cathedral; followed by internment at Olivet Cemetery and reception at the Office Bar and Grill.
To view a live webcast of the Funeral Liturgy, please visit https://stmarycathedral.com/ at 11:00 MST.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Saint Mary's School Foundation at https://stmaryswyo.org/ and press the red button that says Capital Campaign. Checks should be made out to St. Mary’s School Foundation-Capital Campaign.