Elmer D. Gates, 86, of Bethlehem, died Dec. 14, 2015. Born in Blue Mountain Lake, N.Y. he was a son of Arthur and Hazel (Coon) Gates. He was the husband of the late Betty S. Gates.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Clarkson College, now Clarkson University, Potsdam, N.Y.

He served during the Korean War.

He was the co-founder of Embassy Bank for the Lehigh Valley, was the non-executive chairman of Embassy Bancorp Inc. since its inception through June of 2009, and then became the lead director. He was a former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Fuller Company, now F.L. Smidth. He had a 31 year career at General Electric Corporation.

He was a member of Concordia Evangelical Lutheran Church in Macungie.

He was a founding director of Ambassador Bank, a board member of the Lehigh Valley Bank and a member of the U.S. Export-Import Bank advisory committee. He was a past trustee of DeSales University; a director emeritus board member of Skills USA; a past board member and non-executive chairman of SI Handling Systems; and a past director of PPL.

He received the Clarkson Golden Knight Award. He was inducted into Clarkson’s Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame and the Lehigh Valley Executive Hall of Fame. He was the author of the book, “U-Turn Leadership”.

He is survived by two daughters, Patti and her husband Mark Smith of Fogelsville and Jodi Key of Douglassville; and four grandchildren, Brett and Emily Smith and Bill and Heather Key.

Contributions may be sent to the Gates Endowment for Hospice, VNA of St. Luke’s, 801 Ostrum St., Bethlehem, PA 18015; or to the church, 2623 Brookside Road, Macungie, PA 18062.

Arrangements were made by Pearson Funeral Home Inc., Bethlehem.