When the wind sweeps across Northern Minnesota, even the ice fisherman, snowmobile people, and cross-country skiers go indoors. From Ely to St. Paul, doors are closed tight, wood burns, and traffic is sparse. One man swore he saw a giant otter driving a van. The sad fact is that no one became alarmed.
Most hockey players at my college came from Canada, Massachusetts, or Minnesota. We all became acquainted with places like Thief River Falls, Duluth, and Mankato. The National Hockey League’s Hall of Fame is even in Minnesota.
Hugh Pates didn’t play ice hockey but scored the basket that won the State Championship for his high school fifty years ago. Even now, when he returns to St. Paul, people will approach him and talk about that game!
One might think that Hugh went on to play college ball after high school, but no, he didn’t. He became a monk! He studied, prayed, and contemplated; he became a Catholic priest in 1963. However, his desire to serve others clashed with his wish to have more intimate and meaningful relationships, and, decisively, Hugh left the priesthood after ten years.
In short order, Hugh departed from the land of ice, snow, and mosquitoes for graduate school in California. Hugh had classes at the United States International University with Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, Viktor Frankl, and Fritz Perls.
He brought his new wife, Mary, who began working for UCSD. Hugh became passionate about his new career and embraced his first job at UCSD. He taught, did clinical work there, consulted with organizations, and served as Dean of Students at Revelle and Thurgood Marshall Colleges on Campus.
After 24 years, Hugh retired from UCSD. He now works part-time counseling a senior population. Having served on numerous boards, such as The Citizens Review Board and the NAMI Board of Directors, Hugh turned his desire to be a helpful person to the political arena. He was President of SDPA in 2000 and was an SDPA Board Liaison to the California Psychological Association.
Hugh has had a variety of lifelong interests. To the envy of many of his SDPA colleagues, Hugh has played golf at many historic courses in Ireland, Scotland, and England. He has ridden a camel around the Pyramids, pub crawled in Prague and sat in Freud’s chair in Vienna. He loves horse racing and frequents the track at Del Mar. He has traveled to Kentucky to see the Derby three times. Recently Hugh cruised for 40 days to South America. He was in Argentina when the home team won the World Cup in soccer.
Hugh has two adult children. His gracious wife Mary passed away in 2018.
Those who know Hugh well know that they can count, without fail, on his answer to the question “How are you, Hugh?” ……. “Never been better!”
Hugh D. Pates, Ph.D. has been a member of San Diego Psychological Association since 1982. He was President of the Association in 2000 and is a Fellow. He currently serves on the Governance Committee and is active in the Aging Issues and Government Affairs Committees as well. Now age 87, Dr. Pates continues to practice psychology, working almost exclusively with older adults.