TATE, David Henry Tate Obituary
TATE, David Henry – (Captain Navy, Retired) – (September 4, 1931 – October 2, 2015) – David Henry Tate, born in Edgeley, Saskatchewan, passed away peacefully on the evening of October 2, 2015, surrounded by love at Stanton Territorial Hospital, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
Dave attended high school at Notre Dame College (Wilcox, Saskatchewan), one of Pere Murry’s “Hounds” and Scott Collegiate (Regina), excelling academically and athletically playing football and hockey during the depression years.
Dave proudly served the military, joining the Royal Canadian Navy in 1950 and completed training in Trenton, Ontario, awarded his Wings in 1951 at Centralia as Naval Aviator. A graduate of Canadian National Defence College, the RCAF Staff College (Toronto, Ontario) and the Empire Test Pilots School (Farnborough, England).
He served on the Fury Squadron 871 (Seafury remained Dave’s favourite plane); VT 40 Squadron, Shearwater, NS; Executive Officer VX10 Tracker Squadron (Shearwater, NS); Royal Military College-Staff (Kingston, ON); served on HMCS Destroyers Mic Mac and Iroquois, HMCS Athabasca and Aircraft Carriers HMCS Bonaventure (Bonnie) and Magnificent (Maggie) as an air craft carrier pilot; Commanding Officer Sub-marine Squadron VS 880 (Shearwater, NS); Senior Test Pilot/Deputy Commander Aerospace Engineering and Test Establishment AETE (CFB Cold Lake, Alberta); Canadian Military Staff Officer NATO Headquarters (Brussels, Belgium); Base Commander, home base Snowbirds, (CFB Moosejaw, Saskatchewan); Program Manager CP-140 Aurora Program Lockheed (Burbank, California). Dave’s log book documents 62 different aircraft flown before hanging up his wings. Dave often referred to his time in military service as the best years of his life, and loved those with whom he served.
Upon retiring from the Canadian Military (32 years), Dave continued his work life in the private sector as Director Marketing for Sperry Aerospace and Marine Group and Executive Vice President Contest Telecommunications and Instrumentation Companies. Dave’s work life concluded as Director of Military Flight Training, Aviation Training Centre for Canadair (Portage/ Southport, Manitoba).
Dave volunteered for a variety of charitable organizations, and passionately for the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum (Ottawa, ON) for another decade. WINGS ON MY SLEEVE, a documentary produced by Museum, can be viewed at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum and online. He was a member of SNAG (Sea Naval Air Group), whom he cherished.
Dave and wife Mary left their retirement home in Ottawa three and a half years ago, pulling up stakes for the 17th move in their life together, heading north to reside in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories with daughter and son-in-law Jane and Dwight Peart and grandchildren.
Dave was a man of great faith and led a life devotion to the church, his family and his friends. He will be remembered for his kindness, humility, compassion and humour.
Robert Clarence (Spud) Tate, father; Agnes Sara Tate, mother, predeceased. Survived by wife of over 60 years Mary (Mar) Tate; daughter Jane (Dwight) Peart; son Paul (Kelly) Tate; daughter Julia (Todd) Burlingame; grandchildren Julie (Bjorn); George (Trapper); Chad; Ed (Steph); Sheldon and great-granddaughter Lucy; sister Carole Powell.
The family wishes to express our infinite gratitude to Dr. Jackie Tan and the physicians and nursing staff of Stanton Territorial Hospital for your dedication in the care and treatment of Dave throughout his time in Yellowknife, and particularly these past months.
A private family service was held on October 6th at St. Patrick’s Church, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation.
As Dave often said, “They were all very fine to me.”
OttawaObituaries.com
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