John Lee Tate

Born December 14, 1926 in Old Fort, N.C., he was the son of the late Addie Quinn Tate and E.M. Tate, Sr. A member of First Methodist Church of Newton, Tate was a former Superintendent of Recreation for the City of Newton, and spent thirty-seven years in sales with Omni Supply Co. of Newton, which he founded and served as President, before his retirement in 1994. He was a director of the John Tate Red Devil Foundation, organizer and a former president of the Red Devil Booster Club, a charter member and former Exalted Ruler of the Newton Elks Lodge, a member of the local American Legion, served on the board of directors of Catawba Country Club, as well as the Newton Conover Board of Education and was a 2011 inductee into the NC Red Devil Athletic Hall of Fame. A 1950 graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne College, he played basketball, tennis and ran track there in the late forties, and later played basketball for the DeHart “Truckers,” a semi-pro team in Hickory.

A former paratroop sergeant, Mr. Tate served with the 11th Army Airborne Division intelligence section in the occupation of Japan at the close of World War II, and in the Army Reserves for four years. He was the last surviving grand-son of Ist Lt. Robert Alexander Tate, 22nd NC Infantry, CSA, who fought in a number of battles during the Civil War, before losing an arm and being captured at Chancellorsville, Virginia.

Mr. Tate organized golf and tennis trips for friends to the mountains and beaches for over fifty years, was a State Senior Tennis champion and was a volunteer coach of tennis and basketball at Newton-Conover High, a Senior Golf Champion at Catawba Country Club and scored five holes-in-one.

He is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law, Mark and Nancy of Cocoa Beach, Florida, Clint and Jean of Charlotte, N.C., and Brian and Kelly of Newton, and four grandchildren, Camille and Jillian of Charlotte, Carley and her husband Tim of Wilmington, and John Russell of Charlotte, two great grand-daughters, Lena and Addie of Wilmington and a once-stray cat named Deecy. He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Dorothy Gray Tate, three brothers, Locke Tate of Marion, N.C., Roy Tate of New Port Richey, Florida and Murray Tate of Hickory, N.C. and sisters, Mary Green of Morganton, N.C. and Stella Marlowe of Marion, N.C.

A casual dress celebration of his life will be held at Catawba Country Club from 6-9 Monday, June 18. A memorial service will be conducted at First United Methodist Church in Newton, N.C. at 10am, Tuesday June 19, after a private burial. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the John Tate Red Devil Foundation at 4730 Hanging Ivy Drive, Charlotte NC 28215.

Condolences may be left at www.catawbamemorialpark.com.

The Tate Family is under the care of Catawba Memorial Park, Funerals & Cremations.