Muriel A. (McKenna) Bates, age 92, passed away at her home, in grace and peace, Monday, December 3, 2018, surrounded by her loving and devoted family. She was the wife of the late John W. Bates, Jr. to whom she was married 63 years before his passing. Born in Fall River, MA a daughter of the late James and the late Floretta (Bruneau) McKenna she was a lifelong resident of the city. A communicant of Holy Trinity Church in Fall River, she was also a Eucharistic minister and catechism teacher for many years at St. Williams Parish in Fall River and was a recipient of the Marian Medal for her dedicated service to the Church. Peachy, as she was known in the north end of Fall River, was a graduate of B.M.C Durfee High school and enrolled in business school part-time in the evenings thereafter, earning a certificate of completion in the secretarial sciences. As many in her generation, she worked at the Fall River mills in her earlier years at the Shelburne shirt factory. She also worked at the Fall River library where she acquired her life-long passion for reading. Upon graduating with her secretarial science certificate, she worked various jobs as a temporary office clerk before her employment at Small Brothers Manufacturing Company where she met and married her late husband, John Bates. Muriels greatest achievement in her blessed life was her family, a vocation she set as top priority. She was the strength, the heart, the soul and the teacher for her five children, sons and daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her long legacy of love, compassion and tradition will proudly be carried on by all those she inspired. She is survived by two sons, Steven M. Bates of Dartmouth and Jeffrey M. Bates and his partner Robert Millar of Fall River; two daughters, Karen M. Cournoyer and her husband Thomas of Fall River and Susan Boulay and her husband Kevin of Tiverton; fourteen grandchildren, Jennifer, Katie, David, Sarah, John, Shawn, Joshua, Andrew, Rebekah, Elizabeth, Angela, Austin and Kelsey; six great-grandchildren and two on the way, Cashton, Fiona, Gia, Jameson, Gracelyn and Madelyn; many nieces and nephews. She was the mother of the late Gary M. Bates, grandmother of the late Rachel E. Cournoyer, sister of the late James McKenna and mother-in-law of the late Caroline (Olson) Bates. Her Funeral will be held on Monday, December 10, 2018 at 9:00 AM from the Waring-Sullivan Home at Cherry Place, 178 Winter Street, Fall River followed by her Funeral Mass at 10:00AM in Holy Trinity Church, 951 Stafford Rd, Fall River. A private burial will be held in Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne, MA, where she will be laid to rest with her beloved late husband who was an honored WWII Army veteran. Visiting hours will be Sunday from 2:00 | 5:00 PM. Contributions may be made in her honor to Southcoast VNA Hospice, 200 Mill Rd. Ste. 120, Fairhaven, MA 02719. For tributes and directions, www.waring-sullivan.com.