Bill Gates is remembering his father, Willian Henry Gates II, who passed away on Monday, surrounded by family, with the beautiful moments they shared.
Bill Gates shared that the passing of his father was not unexpected, as he was 94 years old and had been facing a decline in his health.
“So we have all had a long time to reflect on just how lucky we are to have had this amazing man in our lives for so many years. And we are not alone in these feelings. My dad’s wisdom, generosity, empathy, and humility had a huge influence on people around the world.” – Bill wrote on his official blog Gates Notes.
He also shared that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would not be where it is today without his dad who shaped the values of the foundation. He shared this about working with his dad:
“People who came through the doors of the Gates Foundation felt honoured to work with my dad. He saw the best in everyone and made everyone feel special.
We worked together at the foundation not so much as father and son but as friends and colleagues. He and I had always wanted to do something concrete together. When we started doing so in a big way at the foundation, we had no idea how much fun we would have. We only grew closer during more than two decades of working together.”
Bill says he learnt everything from his father, from “respecting women and honoring individuality”, to “guiding children’s choices with love and respect”.
Bill revealed one of his most prized possessions to be a letter his dad wrote to him on his 50th birthday, encouraging him to stay curious and reminding him how much he loved being a father to Bill and his sisters Kristi and Libby.
“Over time,” he wrote, “I have cautioned you and others about the overuse of the adjective ‘incredible’ to apply to facts that were short of meeting its high standard. This is a word with huge meaning to be used only in extraordinary settings. What I want to say, here, is simply that the experience of being your father has been… incredible.”
I know he would not want me to overuse the word, but there is no danger of doing that now. The experience of being the son of Bill Gates was incredible. People used to ask my dad if he was the real Bill Gates. The truth is, he was everything I try to be. I will miss him every day.
The billionaire has certainly proven that family is worth more than any wealth. We pray he has the strength to bear the loss.
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