Donald Gates was the youngest child born to Dr. Joseph and Jennie Gates. He was born in 1916.

Donald was only six years old when his father died.

On September 9, 1939, Donald married Mabel Olivia Mork. They lived in Dubuque, Iowa, Minneapolis, and Kenyon, Minnesota.

Donald died on October 4, 1986. Mabel died twenty years later on August 24, 2006 a few weeks short of her 90th birthday.