Robert Henderson Gates was born on November 2, 1939 to Henry Huffaker Gates and Julia Thompson Gates in Sherman (Grayson County), Texas. He lived in Sherman for the first 10 years of his life. In August 1949, his parents divorced, and he moved to Kerrville with his mother and sister.

The move to the Texas Hill Country transformed his life. He was happy here from the day he arrived until his death on November 26, 2025. He was educated in the Kerrville Public School System and graduated from Tivy H...