Henry Turek Yates, age 20, passed away on February 6, 2022, after a brief but fierce battle with mental illness.

Henry was born on September 1, 2001, in Atlanta, Georgia to Kelly and Gary Yates. After graduating from Decatur High School, he attended Emory Oxford College, where he was an A student and a Philosophy major.

Henry loved to travel, and in his short life he visited places as far flung as Alaska, Nepal, Tofino, Friday Harbor, Seattle, Quebec, Italy, Austria, Manchester, Amsterdam, New York City, Colorado, New England, Western North Carolina, and St. Simons Island. He was a seeker and a finder, a wonderer and a wanderer, but no matter how far he wandered or how awesome the destinations, he loved his hometown of Atlanta.

Henry had a special connection with the natural world, nurtured at Outdoor Academy and evidenced in his love of birds, hiking and camping. Tattoos, art, philosophy, writing, clothes (especially shoes), movies, creating and listening to music, and making pizza with his dad were some of his favorite things. Henry was witty, soft spoken, clever and snarky, with a smile you would never forget. He was a romantic, and wrote the best thank you notes anyone could ever hope to receive.

Henry is survived by his parents, Kelly and Gary; his sisters and their partners, Lucy and Robin, and Molly and Salvador; his wonderful grandparents, Larry and Michele Richmond and Joyce and Gene Yates; aunts, uncles, cousins, his best friend Blake Pennington, and many other beloved friends.

Donations in honor of Henry can be made to Georgia Audubon, Trees Atlanta, and NAMI Georgia.

Editor’s note: Obituaries may be sent to [email protected]. Please put “obituary” in the subject line and include a photo. 

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