MARY JOAN DUKE GATES of Apopka, FL - she was the daughter of James and Florence Duke and passed away peacefully at home after a long illness. Mary was raised, along with seven siblings, on a small farm where they struggled through the Great Depression and WWII. She graduated from Surrattsville High 1953 where she was active in cheerleading, student government and several clubs. Joan attended George Washington University where she was active in student government and Kappa Delta Sorority. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in French Literature and was selected for Phi Betta Kappa. Joan married James Lloyd Gates (Jim), her high school sweetheart and career Navy man, on February 11, 1956 at St. John's Catholic Church in Clinton. They raised five children on various bases before his retirement as a Master Chief in 1975. They returned to Apopka and purchased the home where they would live for the rest of their days. Joan transitioned from housewife to school teacher after earning her M.Ed. from Rollins College and oversaw the education of hundreds of kindergartners in the Orange County Public School system. Her home was decorated with tokens of affection from her students. After retirement, Joan and Jim enjoyed traveling together, taking multiple trips to Europe, Alaska, and Australia. Following Jim's death in 2014, Mary limited travels to family visits and weekend meanders around Florida with daughter Sharon. She always looked forward to their Gulf Coast beach weeks. Preceded in death by her husband, James Lloyd Gates; siblings, Paul, Nelson, David, Katie and Florence, as well as infant granddaughter, Sofia, surviving are brothers, Richard (Marie) of Ann Arbor, MI and Teddy (Helen) of Fairfield, VA; children, James (Victoria) of Gainesville, FL, Raymond (Martha) of Sacramento, CA, Sharon of Apopka, FL, John (Sutton) of Apopka; and Nelson Charles (Anel) of San Antonio, TX; grandchildren, Meghan (Greg) Kowalski, Sean, Austin, Samantha, Garrison, Joshua, Renee, Rachel, Sarah, Nicholas, Raquel, Joaquin, and Alexander, great-grandchild, Abigail Amelia. Published by Orlando Sentinel August 30, 2022.