Legends remembered

Marketers who’ve Left TheirMark

by Managing Editor Stevie Ipsen

No matter the age or cause, the end of a life is difficult for those left behind. Members of California’s cattle ranching community were devastated this winter by the unexpected deaths of two cattlemen who have made it their life’s mission to promote and protect agriculture in California as well as leave a lasting impact in their communities.

Legendary Central Coast cattleman Dick Nock, Paso Robles, passed away at the tail end of 2020. His death was followed by that of beloved Col. Joe Gates, Vacaville, in early February. While each of these men were known for championing their own unique philanthropic causes within agriculture in their respective regions, their common bond of cattle marketing is a loss to those who knew them, worked beside them and were inspired by them. DICK NOCK 1931-2020

For active California Cattlemen’s Association members, it is hard to imagine a CCA event without the presence of Dick Nock. Despite his quiet, jovial demeanor, he was always an astute student and teacher of the beef business and with a wealth of knowledge acquired in his 89 years, he didn’t hesitate to share his expertise when it was sought.

Longtime friend and fellow Central Coast cattleman John Lacey says Nock never missed a meeting or the chance to put in his two cents. “He was fun, good and knowledgeable and if you were wrong he wasn’t going to back down. But if you were right, he would come around to supporting you and helping your ideas succeed,” Lacey said. “A lot of people came to him for advice because of his knowledge but also because he was a sincere friend.”

Having been in business together for 25 years and traveled extensively together, Lacey said Nock was 30-40 years ahead of his time.

“He had a great sense of purpose. He was an innovator and had a very futuristic approach to the business, both in the way he ran his cattle and and regarding all of the other interests he had in the community.”

Having worked for other ranchers in his early years and later as a respected cattle producer himself, Nock had a lot of irons in the fire. In addition to running cattle on various Central Coast ranches and having cattle on feed in other states, one of his largest undertakings was becoming the owner of Templeton Livestock Auction in 1966. Those who knew him best say the sale barn was one of his great loves. From cracking eggs in the café to being out back sorting cattle or sitting in the stands with buyers, he was always fully immersed in the day-to-day operations of the business.

In 1980, when Nock was serving as the president of the national Livestock Marketing Association the organization’s national convention was held in San Luis Obispo County which included hosting the world champion auctioneer contest at Templeton Livestock Market. This was the first time the meeting and the competition were held on the West Coast and was something Nock was very proud of at that time. The event attracted livestock marketing enthusiasts from around the world and 4,500 head of cattle were auctioned off during the one-day contest.

Nock also served on the San Luis Obispo County Cattlemen’s Association Board of Directors for nearly 60 years, he was a mentor to countless cattlemen and cattlewomen locally and across the nation.

Nock had a passion for education and the youth. This passion spilled over to the Mid State Fair where he established Cattlemen’s Day and organized the junior livestock sale in support of 4-H and FFA members. He was the founder of the Junior Livestock Support Club which assisted kids during sale time at the fair and sponsored the carcass contest at the conclusion of the fair. Nock organized one of the very first replacement heifer sales, many fairs after this modeled their show off this one. He also served on the California Mid State Fair Board of Directors for eight years.

Dick served on the San Luis Obispo Mission High School Board of Education and was the co-founder of the Mission School Memorial Foundation of 1975. This was

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©SETTRINI

special to him because his daughters had attended the elementary and junior high school.

Longtime friend Celeste Settrini, Salinas, says despite their age difference Nock was of her closest friends and that she misses their frequent conversations and road trips. Settrini said she always knew of Nock, but didn’t actually know him until after her own father passed away unexpectedly.

“He took very genuine special interest. He wanted to know about me and my situation and from that point forward we were close friends,” Settrini explained.

“Not many people can say one of their very best friends was old enough to be their grandpa, but he was one of my best buddies and was a shiny spot in my life,” she said.

“He became a close friend I could confide in, ask advice from and could always count on to be in my corner,” Settrini said.

“The special thing about Dick is that he was a lover of all generations and anyone who met him instantly forgot there was a generation gap because he took a special interest in them,” Settrini said. “That is the thing I will remember most. He cared and took the time to show people he did.”

Col. Joe Gates 1957-2021

To cattlemen and women in the Sacramento region, Col. Joe Gates was known as an agriculture advocate but to people in his own community, Gates was widely known as an advocate for all. Though his family knew his impact within their own lives, following his untimely death in February 2021 Gates’ loved ones were made more aware of just how many close friends Gates had as community organizers, politicians, school administrators and more spoke out about him touching their lives. While Gates may have been a talented auctioneer and a trusted representative for Cattlemen’s Livestock Market (CLM) in Galt, he was also a go-to point person for non-profit clubs and organizations and school fundraisers in his own community and surrounding ones.

According to Gates’ wife Vanean Gates, he took bids for thousands of community functions throughout his career and loved every second of it. He also worked junior livestock auctions from San Diego to Lassen County.

“Joe loved people. He loved helping them succeed. He loved what he did and he was really great at it,” she said. “While ag was very important to him and he loved those events, he really was a huge advocate for community involvement and wanted every organization to be its best, especially the events that benefitted underprivledged youth.”

As auctioneers usually go, confidence, quick witt, enthusiasm and energy were traits that Gates’ embodied. But more than his ability it was his passion for community – specifically rural community – that enabled him to touch so many lives in his 63 years.

“I first met Joe as a new manager at CLM and quickly learned he had customers who loved him for being honest and providing excelling customer service,” said CLM Manager Col. Jake Parnell. “As I got to know him I found his ultimate devotion was to his community and to young people. While he was an auctioneer in several other industries, his heart was in the beef industry and was committed to seeing it thrive. ”

Brought up in the ranching way of life in the tiny Sacramento suburb of Rio Vista, Gates learned early on the value of hard work and the importance of helping agriculture succeed for the future.

As a young boy, Gates developed a passion for auctioneering while attending the sheep sale at the Dixon Livestock Auction with his grandfather. This led him to auction school in Billings, Mont., where he began to fine tune his iconic chant.

While cattle ranching and the family business – Gates Ranch Meat & Cattle Co. – were a main focus in his life, further driving his passion for agriculture and community involvement, his family was his most prized endeavor. After 34 years of marriage, Vanean says next to his committment to God, everyone knew that their family was his greatest love and biggest priority. The couple has two children, Scott and Jody and two grandchildren, Levi and Lexie who Vanean said were blessed with the best “Pop Pop” ever.

“Everyone he came into contact with knew their value and felt their true worth because of him,” Vanean Gates said. “He had a great personality – he could carry on a conversation with a mannequin. But he truly remembered the conversations he had with people and he genuinely cared for them.”

In a final farewell to Joe Gates, nearly 400 friends and family gathered the first week of March to pay their respects in a memorial celebration that embodied everything he would have loved – friends, fun, food and, of course, fundraising.

Several of Joe’s auctioneer friends took the mic to honor him to benefit a cause that he and Vanean participated in: Aslan Child Rescue Ministries, in West Africa. One auction item was a selection of beef cuts from Gates Ranch Meat Co. The $500 beef package sold for $4,800. Vanean said the auction raised more than $20,000 in Joe’s honor, enough to build a much needed well for fresh drinking water in an African community.

“The turnout was incredible,” Vanean said. “Joe’s generosity was repaid by his friends who helped raise money for causes that matter to Joe. He would be so touched.” ______________________________________________

The impact of the loss of both Nock and Gates has reverberated throughout the cattle community and beyond and is more immense than any written article can convey. However it can serve as a reminder to us all that despite the loss, these lives well-lived brought so much good into the world. In order to fully pay homage to these outstanding men, continuing the causes that mattered to them and ensuring their way of life propagates for future generations is ultimately he best way we can honor their legacies.