Born June 14, 1935, in Spartanburg County, S.C., he was the son of the late Boyd Lee and Mamie Flynn Tate. A graduate of Boiling Springs High School, he attended Spartanburg Junior College and was retired from Spartanburg School District 6 Maintenance Department.

He was a U.S. Army Reserves Veteran and a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church, where he was a member of the Earnest Workers Sunday School Class and a former choir member and deacon.

Survivors include his wife, Elaine Painter Tate; two sons, John Mark Tate of Campobello and David Glen Tate; four grandchildren; two sisters, Carolyn T. Hill and Mollie Jean T. Lewis, all of Spartanburg; and a brother, Wayne L. Tate of Boiling Springs. He was predeceased by a son, Christopher Boyd Tate.

Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008, at Bethlehem Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. James L. Oliver and the Rev. Joe Burnett. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Bethlehem Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 229, Roebuck, S.C. 29376; or to the Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home, 686 Jeff Davis Drive, Spartanburg, S.C. 29303.

The family is at the home.

An online guest register is available at www.floydmortuary.com.

Floyd&squo;s Greenlawn Chapel is in charge of arrangements.