Kenneth V. Tate
Kenneth V. Tate or (Poppa Tate as most knew him) turned out the lights and locked up the ball park early Sunday morning Jan. 8. Poppa Tate first stepped up to the plate in Surgoinsville Tennessee on Nov. 2, 1934. His parents Milburn and Madgie Tate made this possible. Poppa Tate had a passion for sports his whole life with a special passion for baseball and softball. In the first few innings of his life Poppa
Tate served our county in the Air Force as a Staff sergeant from 1956-1976. He served an additional 10 years as a Civil Servant. While stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War, he was the recreation director for soldiers on furloughs. Poppa Tate umpired many leagues, both on and off military bases for many years.
Poppa Tate’s love for Sports led him to over 25 years of refereeing and umpiring, High School, College, semi-pro, and professional sports. He was blessed to extensively travel the US while officiating the sports he loved.
Poppa Tate was most known for calling them as he saw them. This was true behind the plate as well as in the game we call life. If he saw you walking by, whether he knew you or not, he would call out in his booming umpire voice to get your attention HEY SIS, HEY BOY, GIRL, get over here. He never met a stranger, always greeted everyone with a joke and a smile.
You could always hear Old Gospel, Country, or Bill Gaither flowing out of his music box, or find him reading his scriptures. These things, and family, are what he valued most with a close second being a good ball game.
During the middle innings in life he would be found either working his own convenience store or running one for someone else - he was always serving the public. For that 7th inning stretch you could find Poppa Tate working with Triple D Security where he was entrusted with more money daily than most of us see in our life.
Poppa Tate was loved and will forever be in the hearts of all who had the fortune to encounter him, whether at the game or in life.
Kenneth Tate was preceded in death by his wife Melva “Beeson” Tate, Parents, Sisters: Ruth Starnes, Hattie Mae Cox, Bobbie Lou Britton, and Alberta Pyle-Shelton. Brothers: Edison Tate, Milburn Tate JR, George Tate, and Joe Tate. He is survived by Carolyn Lane, Nancy Rhea, and Carlos (Chick) Tate all of Tennessee.
The game that he started goes on with his surviving children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Children: Barry Tate (Patty), Hayes, VA, Tammy Tate Arnold (Kevin), Kenneth Allen Tate (Kay) – Victoria. Grandchildren: Kimberly Tate (Barry) of Helena, AL , Michael Tate of Hayes, VA, Chaz Logan (Lauren) of Spring, Tx, Kennon Logan and Travis Arnold (Katie) of Victoria, Samantha Breeden (Kenneth) of Corpus Christi, Morgan Tate of Calallen. Great Grandchildren, and he would tell you they are great, Brandon Williams, Joseph Tate, Oliver Logan, Haylan Arnold, and Sebastian Breeden.
The family would like to thank Doctors – Chelif Junor, Arun Jain, Andrew Young, Marshall Wiener and the staff of Elm Croft, Brighwater and Victoria Resident and Rehab for their excellent care and kindness they showed Poppa Tate.
Tammy and Kevin would like to say a special Thank you to Atzenhoffer Chevrolet and Darren and Renee Bordovsky for their patience and support.
To be a part of the final inning join us Monday, Jan. 16 at Rosewood Funeral Chapel for Visitation from 5-6 p.m. followed by a Memorial Service at 6 p.m.
Share words of comfort at www.rosewoodfuneralchapel.com.
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