John Harvey TATE, Jr.

Notes:

CENSUS

1940 Census
Name: Johnny Tate
Age: 1
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1939
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthplace: Virginia
Marital Status: Single
Relation to Head of House: Son
Home in 1940: Lipps, Wise, Virginia
Street: Bruce
Household Members:
Name Age
Harvey Tate 33
Edna Tate 38
Johnny Tate 1

OBITUARY

MARION, Va. John H. Tate Jr. died on Dec. 11, 2012, after a brief illness. He was born on June 15, 1938, in Coeburn, Va., the son of J. Harvey Tate and Edna McConnell Tate. He is survived by his wife, Jane Raines Tate; four children, John Harvey Tate III \"Jay\" and his wife, Lisa, Campbell Byron Tate and his wife, Jeanne, Luke Bradford Tate and Ashley Elizabeth Tate; his grandson, John Madigan Tate \"Sean\"; his brother and sister-in-law, Joseph S. Tate and Jerilyn B. Tate; and six nephews.

Before the age of three, John gave a public recitation of \"\'Twas the Night before Christmas\" that was recalled fondly for decades. He grew up in Bluefield, Va., sang solos as a tenor, and graduated from Graham High School. He attended Washington & Lee University and graduated from William & Mary in 1960. He fulfilled his early ambition of becoming a lawyer when he graduated from Washington & Lee Law School in 1963, and began a half-century career as self-described country lawyer.

He had an extensive law practice in Marion where he inspired a new generation of lawyers. His clientele included individuals, families, businesses, many local organizations for which he worked largely pro bono, and he was county attorney for Smyth County from 1977 until 2011. He was known to his clients, and especially to his colleagues, as a skillful, wise and thorough lawyer. People joked that if you spoke to John on the street, you would receive a letter from him the next day saying that it was good to see you yesterday. He was active in the banking business, serving on the board of the Bank of Marion, and its successor, Southwest Virginia Bankshares. He was general counsel for the bank and was serving as its chairman at the time of his death.

John was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates for three terms, serving the people of the Fifth Legislative District from 1995 to 2001. While in the House he served on the Courts of Justice Committee, gaining a reputation as a perceptive and conscientious legislator. He was a member of the Virginia State Bar and served several terms on the bar council and the bar\'s executive committee. He was especially proud of his recent service as chair of the Senior Lawyer\'s Conference. In that capacity, he initiated a statewide tree-planting program that has been widely admired and earned him the nickname of Johnny Appleseed.

John\'s untimely death leaves a hole in his family and in the community that he loved and served. During this difficult time, friends and colleagues have been especially helpful and caring, for which his family is grateful beyond mere words. The outpouring of concern has been comforting, and John would be grateful and humbled by it.

John was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Marion, where a memorial service will be held on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012. The family will receive friends from 1 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. in the church sanctuary, with the service of celebration of a life well lived at 7 p.m., with the Rev. Jonathan Jonas officiating. John thought giving back was very important and made regular contributions to dozens of charitable organizations. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that John be remembered by gifts to the First United Methodist Church Food Pantry or the American Cancer Society . Expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.bradleysfh.com Bradley\'s Funeral Home is serving the Tate family.

John married Jane Raines. [Group Sheet]