SEATTLE, Wash. (AP) — William H. Gates II, a lawyer and philanthropist best known as the father of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, has died at 94.
The family announced Tuesday that Gates died peacefully Monday at his beach home in Washington state from Alzheimer’s disease.
In a statement the family credited the patriarch with a “deep commitment to social and economic equity,” noting that he was responsible for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s first efforts to improve global health.
The family said that due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, a memorial service would be held later.