Will Oates

Will Etta (Willie) Long Oates died March 4,2008. She was born to Harry and Fern Long in Arkansas City, Kansas on January 14, 1918. Will Etta graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and it was here that fellow students started calling her Willie and the name stuck. She was proud of making the cheerleader squad as a freshman and was on the field from 1938-41. At the University she joined Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and met Gordon Page Oates, from Little Rock, who was studying to become a doctor. They were married December 27, 1941 and celebrated 57 years together until Dr. Oates died in January 1999.
During World War II, Willie stayed in Little Rock with their small son, Randy, while Dr. Oates was an officer in the U.S. Navy. Following the war, Willie began her career of volunteerism in Little Rock. She was selected Little Rock Woman of the Year in 1955 for her work as a volunteer in charitable activities In 1959, Willie Oates became the first woman elected to the Arkansas Legislature in over 30 years. She was especially proud of sponsoring some of the earliest legislation on helmets for motorcyclists and allowing evolution to be taught in science classes in the state. When her hats started to capture people's attention she began using them as a prop in many of her talks and these "hat skits" took on a life of their own. These skits became her trademark for service to her community. She traveled throughout Arkansas and more than 40 states speaking, performing her hat skits, judging various competitions, and serving as a Grand Marshall at many parades.
Willie Oates was an active volunteer and organizer all of her life. She belonged to over 50 national, state, and local organizations and served on over 25 boards. She was one of the founders of the Salvation Army Auxiliary 60 years ago, organized the first chapter of the American Cancer Society in Arkansas, and founded the auxiliary for CARTI. Among the many awards and honors she received, some of the most notable were the Distinguished Citizen Award (1981), the Salvation Army's Lifetime Achievement Award (1995), the Senator David Pryor Award for Seniors in Community and Volunteer Service (1997), and the United Cerebral Palsy National Achievement Award. Willie was also very proud of being the first woman member of the Founder's Lions Club in 1988, and her selection as one of ten "Heroes" in Arkansas to carry the Olympic flame in 1996. She was also very active in First Presbyterian Church in Little Rock for many years. She knew most Arkansas Governors on a first name basis and received public service awards from seven Governors. In 1989, she was officially designated by proclamation of the state legislature as "Arkansas' Hat Lady." Willie was especially thrilled to be invited to the White House by Hillary Clinton to spend the night and enjoy a casual dinner with the President and First Lady.
In the late 1970s Willie returned to Fayetteville as an alumni cheerleader for Homecoming, and about 10 years ago she was honored for "Being on the field for 50 years" as a Razorback cheerleader. She looked forward to going back at homecoming each year, and was always asked to "Call the Hogs" by groups wherever she went. While she was born and raised in Kansas, she considered herself an Arkansan. Willie died quietly at Parkway Village Healthcare. The family acknowledges the caregivers at Parkway Village for their support, maintaining her dignity, and helping her continue to wear her hats every day; and Baptist Health Hospice for their assistance since January. The family is especially thankful for the dedication, loving care and friendship given by Cassondra Sneed to Willie for over 4 years, allowing her to remain as active and vibrant as possible. Willie is survived by a brother, Robert Long, of Mesa, AZ; son, Randy and his wife, Hermine "Sam" Oates of Little Rock; daughter, Deborah Oates Erwin, PhD, and her husband, David Weeks of Buffalo, NY. Grandchildren include Randy's sons, Gregory Oates of Plano, TX and Matthew Oates and wife, Michelle, of Katy, TX; and Debbie's children, Somerset Sea and husband Steven of Tulsa, OK, and Dallas Erwin of Fort Collins, CO.
Visitation will be at Second Presbyterian Church at 600 Pleasant Valley Drive in Little Rock on Thursday, March 6, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and the memorial service will also be at the Church on Friday, March 7 at 3:00 p.m. The family will have a private burial at Roselawn. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you honor Willie's life in the spirit in which she lived it by considering a donation to one of her or your favorite charities in her memory.
Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Ct., Little Rock, (501)224-2200.