Funeral For Former Officer

by Karen Zatkulak  Thursday afternoon, bikers lined Hixson Pike to pay tribute to a friend and law enforcement veteran.  Terry Yates died early Monday morning, after his motorcycle clipped an 18-wheeler on Highway 153.Yates not only donated to the community through his motorcycle club, but also served the city as an officer for 25 years.  All were emotional as they gathered to lay Terry Yates to rest.The motorcycles echoed in to Abba's House.  They held dozens of friends and fellow officers, there to honor one man, Terry Yates.  They say Yates was a man who served our city as an officer himself for 25 years.  He was a man who used to sit in the police motorcade himself, honoring others.Thursday, members of law enforcement honored him.  Sgt. Toby Hewitt says, "He put in 25 years of wonderful service, and personally I think it makes us all realize our own mortality and that sooner or later we will be there and we can only hope to have this kind of turnout of people who know and love Terry."It wasn't just officers, but fellow riders, and members of the Unwanted Motorcycle Club that Yates helped found.  They all came in full force, crowding the parking lot, and consoling each other.  One of Yates' best friends Micheal Mead says, "It's not going to be the same, Terry Yates was the best motorcycle rider I've ever known."He says Yates was more than a biker, he was also a caregiver, raising money for charities, and volunteering to help anyone in need.  Mead says, "Without hearing his pipes, and hearing him do what he does is unreal, riding past the crash site is unreal."It was a moving scene on Hixson Pike, as hundreds led the procession to his final resting place.  Sgt. Hewitt says, "He was a wonderful person and obviously you can see by the crowd here gathered today a lot of people loved him and supported him."Donations can be made to honor Terry Yates through the First Volunteer Bank, with all proceeds going to the Children's Hospital at Erlanger.