TATE, David Allan - August 20, 1939-April 21, 2015
The heart of a remarkable man stopped beating in Yarmouth Hospital when David Tate gave up his struggle with ALS. His life story could easily read like a compelling novel. Born in London, England ten days before World War II broke out, he experienced a childhood dominated by air raids during the Blitz. He recalled hiding under a metal table when the sirens sounded and after the war, he was hospitalized at the age of six for what would now be called PTSD. His mother, Lilian (Neal) Wadge, helped to operate barrage balloons while his biological father, Arthur Tate, was killed in action with the British Army. David’s family lost everything during the war and he later grew up in Devonshire, burdened with dire poverty. When he was twelve, the family immigrated to Canada, where he joined the Canadian Navy at age seventeen and also completed high school by correspondence. He was a true “self-made man” and remained stubbornly independent to the end.
David served as a radio operator in the Far North, where he monitored Russian submarine Morse Code traffic during the Cold War. Later, he attended Radio College of Canada (now Ryerson Polytechnic College) and then became a Flight Service Specialist for Ministry of Transport. He worked in airports from Windsor to Goose Bay to Halifax. In 1981, he transferred to Yarmouth Airport and adopted the local community as his permanent home. Unfortunately, he waged a continuing war with colon cancer and retired on disability in 1990 after thirty-two years’ service with the federal government. He was diagnosed with ALS in early 2014.
David was a highly intelligent man who thrived on puzzles and could work out cryptoquotes in his head. His love of reading led him to acquire a vast library of books on many subjects. He especially enjoyed history, historical fiction, science and philosophy. A complex and private man, he nonetheless appreciated a good debate and when the internet arrived, he embraced its opportunities for communication beyond his own region. He became known as a lively and engaging writer.
David is survived by his best friend and wife of thirty-five years, Brenda (Levy) Tate; his cherished daughter Natalia (Trevor Bullerwell) Tate and his delightful grandson Elyden Pierce. Their little family provided him with endless joy and entertainment. David kept meticulous journals that spanned more than two decades. He collected news clippings over many years and loved to imagine the lives of those whose stories were presented in them. He also liked to visit graveyards and reflect on the people whose names were engraved on the various stones. He was not a morbid person but he had a keen awareness of the past’s impact on our present world. To him, history was a vibrant and living reality.
David has been cremated according to his wishes. Visitation will be held at Sweeny’s Funeral Home, Yarmouth on Tuesday, April 28 from 6-8 pm. His friend Rev. John Symonds will offer prayers at 7:30 and anyone attending is welcome to share a memory or two. A private outdoor memorial for family and close friends is planned for a later date. Interment will be in his wife’s family plot in Willowbank Cemetery, Wolfville. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to ALS Society of Nova Scotia. He was very anxious to see a cure discovered for this disease.