Dexter Ricardo Oates

On Tuesday, February 28, 2023, Dexter Ricardo Oates of Bonne Terre, Missouri died suddenly at the age of 36 years old. Dexter was born to Rudolph and Alice Oates on January 19, 1987, at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Dexter was a loving son, brother, uncle, cousin, mentor, and friend. He was generous, curious, intelligent, and a faithful Christian.

Dexter was well-educated both academically and in his Christian faith. Dexter was homeschooled through the 11^th grade where he also had Bible Study every day studying and learning the Word of God. He then attended North County Senior High School in the 12^th grade where he received his High School Diploma in 2007 while simultaneously earning his Vocational/ Associates Degree in Machine Tool Technology from Unitec Career Center in 2007.

Dexter attended Millikin University, Decatur, Illinois to further pursue his higher education from 2007 to 2012. In 2012 Dexter graduated from Millikin University as an academic scholar and merit award recipient with 2 Advanced Degrees; Dexter earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Systems.

Dexter was also engaged in many activities and societies during his academic training and beyond which include, maintain an active membership in Trinity Fellowship Church, including extensive volunteering and fundraising for its Sports Ministries; Skills USA, IT Chair BMI, Inc. Anime/ Gaming Club, and EAC Green Club. Dexter’s competitive swimming skills advanced and progressed to the point where he qualified and competed in Local, State, Regionally, Nationally, and Internationally as a competitive swimmer for Team Genesis Swim Club, a Private USA (United States of America Swimming) Swim Club, Amateur Athletic Union Swimming (AAU), United States Masters Swimming (USMS), and Millikin University Varsity Swim Team (Division 3); National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a Missouri Show Me State Swimming Games Medalist and Dexter was an Ozark Swimming Local Swim Committee (LSC) Athlete Delegate. Dexter was also a 3^rd Degree Kyu Tae Kwan Do martial artist.

As a technology professional, Dexter was known for his high-level skills and knowledge of Finance and Information Systems. From March 2022 and until his passing, Dexter was a Senior Full Stack Software Engineer Contractor for Wells Fargo. He also worked as a Senior Software Engineer Contractor for US Bank, The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Missouri and Magellan Behavioral Health; a Senior Software Engineer for Real-Time Results and TriZetto Provider Solutions; a .Net core developer III Contractor for United Airlines; a Senior .Net Developer and IT Programmer for The Phoenix Group; and a Software Developer for Brown Shoe Company and ThrottleNet, Inc.

Dexter also had many hobbies, interests, likes, and things he loved. Some of these included, piloting his drone, while taking beautiful videos and photos; cooking high cuisine, especially sushi; gardening and bird watching; enjoying music and music festivals; taking swims in the river and hiking in nature; swimming competitively; skiing and spending time in the mountains; playing and traveling on road trips with his dog Batia; teaching Swim America Classes to all ages (infants, children and adults; roller skating, cycling, dancing and singing; flying airplanes; video gaming and technology (he was always building something); giving gifts to family and friends; carpentry and engineering; and helping people.

Dexter was friendly, smart, kind-hearted, likable, happy, ambitious; intelligent, respectful, humorous; helpful, imaginative, good-natured, brilliant, gentle, educated, polite, loyal, generous, and kind with a sense of duty. Dexter was always ever so vigilant to seize the moment to become part of a good cause by helping others.

Dexter was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Mid Thomas, Jr. and Rosie Thomas of Indiana; paternal grandfather, Jerome Oates; great-grandmother, Louise Swope; uncle, Alfred Edwards of Arizona; 1^st cousins, Cedric Thomas and Isaac Williams.

Dexter is survived by his paternal grandmother, Helen Oates of Evansville, IN; parents, Rudolph K. and Alice M. Oates of Bonne Terre, MO; siblings, Rudolph (Eva) Oates, Jr. of Paris, France, Michael (Nadina) Oates of Illinois, Christian Oates and Shavon Womack of Illinois, Justin Oates of Missouri, Andre’ (Felechia) Oates of North Carolina; Antisha (Lorenzo) Terry of Arkansas; aunts and uncles, Debra Bonsu of Indiana, Bennie (Cheryl) Edwards of Indiana, Mary Edwards of Indiana, Trevor (Yvonne) Licorish of Indiana, Jerome (Elena) Oates of Alaska, Michael (Sharetta) Oates of Michigan, Eddie (Therice) Williams-Smith of Michigan, L.A. Thomas of Maryland, Melvin (Elnora) Thomas of Indiana; nieces and nephews, Zoe-Mae Oates, Rudolph Oates III, Silas Oates, Alexander Oates, Zo Terry; Oscar Terry, Nathaniel Terry, Zaden Terry, Charles Oates, Dominic Oates, Andre’ Oates, Braeden Oates, Forbes Oates, Elliot Oates. Several cousins, other family and friends also survive.

Visitation will be held Friday, March 17, 2023 from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the C.Z. Boyer & Son Funeral Home in Bonne Terre. Visitation will resume on Saturday, March 18 from 9:00 AM until the time of service at 11:00 AM at the C.Z. Boyer & Son Chapel in Bonne Terre with Rudolph K. Oates officiating. Interment will follow at St. Francois Memorial Park in Bonne Terre. Memorial donations may be made to Trinity Fellowship Church at P.O. Box 345, Bonne Terre, MO 63628 or Trinity Fellowship Sports Ministries at https://shop.loveswimming.org/Memorial-Donation-in-Memory-of-Dexter-Oates-D-028.htm