Mr. Lewis Tate

The year was 1944. It was a beautiful spring day in Carthage Mississippi, on March 25 to be exact, when Lewis Edwin Tate was warmly welcomed into this world by his parents Earl and Quillie Mae Tate. From this union, six children altogether filled their household with laughter and love. Opal, Mable, Lewis, Lucinda, Buford, and Gwendolyn. Lewis was a precocious child and teenager who loved sweets, the outdoors, animals, basketball, fishing, drawing, fast cars, a little trouble, and his family. He graduated in 1961 from O.E.Jordan High School and went on to Memphis TN to pursue the art and craft of barbering. Shortly after gaining his licensure he followed his sisters and made the move to Chicago IL where they had already begun to lay roots. During this time his son Michael and daughter Virginia was conceived. Throughout the years he moved back and forth between the north and south while intermittently dating a young lady named Frances Griffin. He returned to Carthage to marry her, changing her name on July 17, 1976 and whisking her off to Chicago for their new life together. This union bore two girls Nikkisha and Lucinda. The family relocated to Atlanta GA where Lewis’s early work was in printing and advertisement at Color Services and The Atlanta Journal Constitution. He served with Dekalb County Sanitation as a liaison for the Recycling & Bulk Division for 18 years before his retirement in 2006. As a member of Greenforest Community Baptist Church, he found more time to serve in his leisure. He was a part of The Brotherhood Choir, The Cushites on the Move, the Transportation Ministry, a Trustee, a Fulfillment Hour Assistant, and he frequently visited the sick and shut in. He spoke so affectionately of his time spent with The Brotherhood Choir and the bonds that were made. He enjoyed grilling, planting, gardening, training his dogs, playing cards (although he was an extremely sore loser), fishing with friends, watching basketball, boxing, and anything with a horse in it. He loved his family, his friends, his community, and this church. Lewis was preceded in death by his siblings (Lucinda Snowden, Buford Tate, & Gwendolyn Raglin) and nephew (Dauntrez Snowden). Lewis is survived by his wife Frances Tate, his son Michael Nailor (wife Monica, son Christopher, daughter Taylor), his daughters Virginia Hubbard (sons Justin, Kyle, & Todd) Nikkisha Tate and Lucinda Collier (husband Hewey, daughters Ajaila & Leiyah, son DaKeng), sisters Opal Duncan (daughter Cecelia, sons Elix & Tavis) and Mable Presley (husband Issac, son Keith, daughter LaQuon), sister-in-law Sandra Tate (daughters Latoya, Nadia, & Sheena), nephew Gerik Raglin and a multitude of nieces, nephews, cousins, great-grandchildren, other relatives, and very special friends. Battling Alzheimer’s is tough on everyone involved and there is no way we could have done this alone so we must offer an extraordinary expression of thankfulness to those who helped us along the way. Latashia Johnson, thank you. Delores Rutledge, thank you. Christy Whitlock and Alexandria Lewis with Medicrest Home Care, thank you. Every caregiver, social worker, CNA, and RN that assisted in his care through Homestead Hospice, we thank you. You all were invaluable during the process. Acknowledgements The Tate Family sincerely appreciates each extension of love and support shown us through your texts, calls, hugs, visits, cards, flowers, meals, seeds, and prayers. Your thoughtfulness and generosity during this time has been a blessing and has significantly touched our hearts. To the Greenforest Baptist Community Church please know that your outpouring has meant so much to us. It is with great gratitude that we thank you all for your kindness. We pray in return that the peace of God will cover you, keep you, and sustain you and that He will meet all of your needs according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus…

Tributes

Mr. Lewis Tate

March 25, 1944 - September 9, 2022