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Maurice M. Yates, Jr. (Jimmy) passed away September 12, 2016, at age 92. He was predeceased by his wife, Betty Irene Lintz Yates; parents, Maurice Marvin Yates of Trenton, Florida, and Mary Emma Whitehead Yates of Grainger County, Tennessee; and sister, Katherine Yates Robinson.
He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the United States Army Signal Corps in the European Theater of Operations. His signal battalion was attached to Gen. George Patton's 3rd Army during the Battle of the Bulge. He received campaign ribbons for Central Europe and Rhineland campaigns. His signal company was later transferred to southern France (Marseilles) where they took over and maintained the signal center providing secured (scrambled) telecommunications circuits, connecting southern France with SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces) in Paris and other Signal Centers throughout the European Theater of Operations.
He was later assigned for a 60 day tour of duty in the French Riviera (Cannes) where he provided long distance telephone lines to the Riviera area (a military R&R area), together with a direct secured line to SHAEF (Paris) for General Eisenhower and other General grade officers on R & R and referred to as 'Ike's line'.
Subsequently, he was assigned to the French Alps for a six months tour of duty where he served as the electronics specialist and wire chief until January, 1946 on a telephone cable constructed across the Alps mountains to provide military telecommunications circuits between the European Theater of Operations (General Dwight D. Eisenhower) and the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (British Field Marshal Sir Harold Alexander commanding).
In addition to the Campaign ribbons mentioned above, he received the American Theater Ribbon, European, African, Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon, World War II Victory Ribbon and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal.
He earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee in 1949 with a major in accounting and was elected into Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Gamma Sigma (business) honorary societies. He was a member of the first graduate accounting class in the history of the University of Tennessee.
After graduation, he served his internship in professional auditing and tax in the Atlanta office of the international accounting, auditing and consulting C. P. A. firm of Arthur Anderson & Co. He practiced as a Certified Public Accountant in upper East Tennessee for forty years with offices in Greeneville, Rogersville and Newport, Tennessee. He was a well-known speaker on taxation and lectured to advanced accounting students at East Tennessee State University for a period of years on opportunities in public accounting.
Mr. Yates was a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants, in which organization he served as Vice President and Secretary. He was also a member of the Appalachian Chapter of the Tennessee Society of C. P. A. s, in which organization he served as President, and the TriCities Estate Planning Council, in which organization he also served as President.
He was a member of the Greeneville (Noon) Rotary Club for more than fifty years, Free and Accepted Masons Lodge #3, a 32nd degree Mason, a member of Kerbela Shrine Temple in Knoxville, Greeneville Shrine Club, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1990, and the East Tennessee Management Club.
He was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church of Greeneville, Tennessee for many years. Mr. Yates is survived by two daughters, Judy Ann Yates and Nancy Yates; a son, Maurice Yates III; a daughter-in-law, Deborah Yates; three grandchildren: Maurene Preas, Paul S. Liistro, III, and Stephanie Yates; a granddaughter-in-law, Lindsay Liistro; and a great granddaughter, Erika Liistro.
Honorary Pallbearers – will be Judge Tom Wright, Berkley Bell, Steve Burns and Dr. J.W. Austin.
A Funeral service will be held at 10:30 A.M. Monday September 19th, 2016, at Kiser-Rose Hill Funeral Home, 125 Idletime Dr, Greeneville, TN 37743.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Greeneville Library in memory of Maurice Yates.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
1 Entry
September 17, 2016
James Brent
Since early childhood I've known Mr. Yates and his family. We were neighbors when they lived on Gregory Avenue. He was an avid photographer and always maintained state of the art equipment while taking great color photos of Greeneville during our time growing up there. Condolences & prayers to his family and many friends.
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