Michael "Mike" Yates

Michael “Mike” Yates, 49, of Lake Park died suddenly on Friday, August 23, 2024, at South Georgia Medical Center. Michael grew up in Tennille and graduated from Brentwood School in Sandersville in 1992. In high school, he played football and basketball, and earned the Senior Superlative, “Most Witty”. He soon moved to Valdosta to attend VSU on a football scholarship. While at VSU, he began attending Campus Outreach meetings. Early in his association with Campus Outreach, he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and then continued to grow in his faith, discipled young men on the campus and attended mission trips. While attending Campus Outreach meetings, he met Kelly. They started dating and then were married on March 20, 1999. Soon after college, Michael began working at Prince Automotive Dealership. He worked at Prince for 25 years, beginning as a salesman, then the Finance Manager, and finally as the Used Cars Manager. In June 2024, he moved to Griffin Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep, to become the Used Car Manager there. Michael was a devoted member of Redeemer Presbyterian Church. At Redeemer, he was an inaugural member of the Elder Board, taught Sunday School and served Christ and the fellow members of the body in any way he could. Spending quiet time at home with his family was his favorite pastime, other than rabidly rooting for the Rambling Wreck of Georgia Tech! 

Survivors include his wife, Kelly Yates of Lake Park, GA, his daughter Makayla Yates of Athens, GA, his son Coleman Yates, of Annapolis, MD and his mother Martha Yates Darity and her husband John of Tennille, GA. Also surviving are his brother and sister-in-law, Matthew & Heather Yates of Sandersville, GA, sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Dina & Tommy Lederer of Matthews, NC, mother-in-law, Cheryl Daken and her husband Bill, nieces and nephews, Jeff Hammer, Ava Lederer, Ella Lederer, Peyton Yates, Mallorie Yates, Elizabeth Dean Yates, and John West Yates. He is preceded in death by his father, Morris Yates and his father-in-law, Sol Pitchon. 

Kelly & Michael want to keep saving babies, so in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Options Now, Pregnancy Support Clinic, at www.onpartners.org  or PO Box 5907, Valdosta, GA 31603 or to the Redeemer Presbyterian Church Building Fund, at 3338L Country Club Road Suite 1, PMB230, Valdosta, GA 31605. 

The funeral for Michael will be held at 4:30 pm on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, in the chapel of the Carson McLane Funeral Home. Pastor Scott Horne will officiate. The family will receive friends at the funeral home prior to the service on Tuesday from 3 pm until service time. Burial will follow on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, at 4 pm at Deepstep Community Church Cemetery, 9969 Deepstep Rd, Deepstep, GA 31082. The funeral for Michael will be streamed on Tuesday afternoon, to be found on his obituary page at www.mclanecares.com, beginning just before service time. Condolences may be offered there as well. Carson McLane Funeral Home