Mark Cates

Mark D. Cates, age 69 of Brainerd, MN and formerly of Faribault, MN, passed away on Tuesday, December 28, 2021 at Essentia Health in Fargo, ND.

Mark Dean, the son of Dean and Florence (Johnson) Cates was born on June 24, 1952 in Minneapolis, MN.  He attended Faribault High School and graduated with the class of 1970.  Following high school Mark attended the University of Minnesota and received his degree in Economics.  In July of 1977 he was united in marriage to Nancy Sommerville in Faribault, where they spent 34 years raising a family together.  Mark joined his father Dean in the insurance business and had a 33-year career with New York Life and his agency, Cates & Ohme Insurance.  Mark’s greatest joy was spent in the outdoors with friends and family, living on Roberds Lake in Faribault and at his cabin on Lake Ada in Pine River, MN.  He enjoyed hosting family and friends at the lake annually for the first weekend of open season or taking loved ones out on the boat for an afternoon of fishing.  Like a true Minnesotan, Mark appreciated everything about being “up north.”  He loved toasted almond fudge ice cream, his dogs Marley and Barney, a good cigar, golfing with friends, foiling squirrels, going to concerts, making seafood extravaganza and he was an avid supporter of the Minnesota Gophers.  His three children were his greatest accomplishment, and he instilled in them the value of helping others.  He was a member of the Shriners, Lions Club and donated frequently to Alzheimer’s Research. Mark had a jovial, larger-than-life personality and he will be missed.

He is survived by his children, Dean (Katie) Cates of Encino, CA and their son Jameson Cates, Elizabeth (Ryan) Faulstick of Minneapolis, MN and their children, Grayson and Graham Faulstick, and Joe (Gwen) Cates of Bloomington, MN and their children, Penelope and Fiona Cates; by his former wife, Nancy Cates of Minneapolis; by his sister, Lisa (Jack) Lano of Little Falls, MN and by nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Dean and Florence Cates and his sister, Connie Shella.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 13, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home, 1725 Lyndale Ave. N., Faribault, with Fr. Henry Doyle officiating.  Interment will be held at the Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN.  For those unable to attend you may watch the livestream of the service through a link found on Mark's obituary page.

Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Thursday morning from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.

Mark's family requests that those present for the visitation and funeral to please wear a mask.

For online tributes and further information visit www.ParkerKohlFH.com.