TATE

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Friday, December 18, 2009 at 05:16:03 :

Marin Independent Journal
Thursday, November 7, 1985

JOHN TATE

A memorial service for John Tate of Sonoma, a former Marin resident, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the chapel of Bates, Evans and Fehrensen in Sonoma.

Mr. Tate died unexpectedly Oct. 27 at Queen of the Valley Hospital in Napa. He was 61.

He lived in Belvedere, Sausalito and San Rafael before moving to Sonoma seven years ago.

He owned John Tate Inc., a manufacturing engineering firm, in Sonoma. The business had previously operated in Sausalito and San Rafael.

Mr. Tate also operated the Sonoma Skypark, a private airport, and had been planning to buy it. He was an avid flyer of light airplanes and gliders. He recently became involved with the Civil Air Patrol.

He was born in Walton, Yorkshire, England and attended Wakefield Technical College, where he completed his engineering degree and apprenticeship before joining the British Navy in World War II.

After the war, Mr. Tate served in Malaya where he was appointed second in command of the newly established Royal Malaya Navy at the age of 21.

He loved the sea and traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia for 13 years. He worked there in oil company sales and came to the United States when he was transferred to the San Francisco office.

Mr. Tate was a member of the Royal Prince of Wales Masonic Lodge in Malaya and the Singapore Flying Club.

He was also known as an animal lover and was a life member of the Marin County Humane Society and also belonged to Pets Lifeline of Sonoma.

He is survived by his wife, Jean Tate of Sonoma; his father, Reg Tate of Yorkshire; and a brother, Charles F. Tate of Yorkshire.

After the memorial service, a reception will follow at the Sonoma Skypark. Burial will be in Yorkshire.

The family prefers that contributions be made to Pets Lifeline, P.O. Box 241, Sonoma, 95476; the Marin County Humane Society, 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Novato, 94947 or to Valley of the Moon Hospice, P.O. Box 600, Sonoma, 95476.