Bill Gates Sr. Regents for the University of Washington, and is a co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which his son Bill and his daughter-in-law Melinda founded. He has served as a director for Costco Wholesale, a bulk retail corporation, since 2003. He is also a founding co-chair of the Pacific Health Summit. He has adopted the suffix "Sr." to distinguish himself from his more famous son. Gates is co-author, with Chuck Collins, of the book "Wealth and Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes", a defense of the policies promoted by the estate tax. He married Mary Maxwell Gates
USS Thomas S. Gates western Mediterranean. She then underwent a period of maintenance in Marseille, France (11–22 October) before she participated in Exercise National Week (24–31 October), during which she conducted turnover with her relief, the cruiser at Pollensa Bay, Majorca (29 October). Out-chopping to Commander, 2d Fleet, on 31 October 1989, "Thomas S. Gates" then conducted her return transit to Norfolk (31 October-10 November 1989). From 15 August 1990 to 28 March 1991, "Thomas S. Gates" deployed in support of Desert Shield and Desert Storm. With only five days of intensive preparations, "Thomas S. Gates" deployed as an element of the battle group