Bennett Teates, 79, of Blacksburg, died on June 23, 2021, surrounded by family. He was born in Fauquier County, Va., on February 22, 1942, to the late Bryan W. Teates and Mae Afton Bennett Teates.
His ‘Love until the End of Time’ was Judith Keister Teates.
He is survived by his children, Andrea Teates Robinson and her husband, J. D., Andrew Bennett Teates and his wife, Shelby, and Jennifer Teates Niemiera and her husband, Jesse Overcash; and his grandchildren, William Sharpe, Matthew Sharpe, Alexis Niemiera, Olivia Niemiera, and Bennett Niemiera.
Bennett earned his Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech in 1964 and was also a distinguished military graduate. He held advanced degrees from George Washington and Johns Hopkins universities. He was a member of the Highty Tighties and the Old Guard.
Bennett worked in the national security arena. His experience included serving in the Armed Forces during the Vietnam War, being a director of command and control programs at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, and serving as a program manager at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. He founded and was president of Command Control, Inc, in Atlanta, which did research and prototype development for the Department of Defense and the power industry. He served as executive director for the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation (VT-ARC) Blacksburg operations.
Bennett was always interested in adventures, be it training and riding his horse, Gem, or riding his motorcycle cross country and achieving the motorcycle accolade “Iron Butt” from the world’s toughest motorcycle riders by visiting all four corners of the U.S. He was always trying to improve his golf game on The Hill and Tech’s Golf Course.
He served the communities where he lived. Such work included EquiTrails in Cherokee, Ga., to establish and preserve horse trails, and helping to recognize Prices Fork historical significance, working to preserve the village and surrounding communities. He was a member of Blacksburg Rotary and the Price Family Historical Society.
The family would like to thank the team at the Blue Ridge Cancer Center and LewisGale Montgomery Hospital nurses and doctors.
Graveside services will be conducted today, Wednesday, June 30, 2021, at 11 a.m. at the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Dublin. To attend the services, please arrive at the cemetery by 10:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Prices Fork United Methodist Church, 4236 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA, 24060.
Services are being provided by McCoy Funeral Home.
