Service: 3 p.m. Friday at Trinity Episcopal Church, 3401 Bellaire Dr. S., Fort Worth.
Memorials: The family requests that no flowers be sent. Should friends wish, memorials to honor his life may be sent to Trinity Episcopal Church, St. Margaret's Episcopal Church (90 Court St., Belfast, Maine 04915,) the Gary L. Tate Scholarship Fund at Baker University (P.O. Box 65, Baldwin City, Kan. 66006,) the TCU English Department for the support of graduate students in rhetoric and composition, Odyssey Hospice of Fort Worth, or to a charity of their choice.
Gary was born Aug. 2, 1930, in Hiawatha, Kan. The first in his family to attend college, he completed his B.A. at Baker University in Baldwin, Kan., and an M.A. and Ph.D. in English at the University of New Mexico, interrupting his studies for service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He taught at the University of Wyoming, Ohio Wesleyan University, the University of Tulsa, and Northern Arizona University before accepting the Addie Levy Professorship of Literature at TCU in 1971 to direct the writing program. Later he directed the graduate program in English and helped to establish the Ph.D. program in rhetoric and composition. The last passion of his career was exploring his own working class roots and developing working class literature courses. After retirement he held the Cecil H. and Ida Green Distinguished Emeritus Tutor position for three years and then taught summer courses in the Senior College at the Hutchinson Center, University of Maine. His legacy includes, in addition to his books and essays, a host of former graduate students across the country and abroad who carry on his life's work of learning and teaching.
A longtime parishioner at Trinity Episcopal Church, he served as vestry member and teacher. During times of stress in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, he found solace in the inclusiveness of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Belfast, Maine, where he and Priscilla spent the summers and early fall months after their retirement in 1999.
Special thanks are due to Dr. Allan Kelly, our physician and wise friend; to Odyssey Hospice (our care team Dee, Kim, and Debbie and each person who answered the phone, came on call, provided continuous care, and provided emotional support); to the caregivers from Comfort Keepers; and to the medical, technical and support staff of DaVita Dialysis Southwest for their tender care.
Survivors: His wife and best friend, Priscilla W. Tate; their children, Lorraine Tate Wilkinson of Conway, Ark., Carolyn Tate Higgs of Oklahoma City, Okla., Christie S. Glenn and her husband, Mark Smith, of Colleyville, and Brian F. Glenn and his wife, Dr. Fran Huckaby, of Fort Worth; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Shannon Rufe Snow Funeral Chapel, 6001 Rufe Snow Drive, 817-514-9100
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