| WILLIAM RILLIE
TATE MERRITT ISLAND -- William Rillie (Bill) Tate, aretired Air Force NCO and Kennedy Space Center Quality Assurance Inspector, passed away December29, 2000 at age 71. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Alma (Deanie) Tate; brother, RaymondTate of Tampa; sisters, Jean Stetler of Baltimore, M.D., Anne Terry, Betty Owens,and Peggy Bagsby, all of Nashville, Tenn.; daughter, Tina Federico of Merritt Island; sons, William Tate of Dallas, Texas, Bobby Tate ofRockledge, and Terry Tate of Merritt Island; three granddaughters; seven grandsons; three great-granddaughters; and one great-grandson. His infant grandson, Matthew William Tate passed away in 1989. Mr. Tate was born in Nashville, Tennessee in1929. He came to the space coast in 1963 to work atPatrick Air Force Base, Cape Canaveral, and Kennedy Space Center. Upon retirement from the Air Force at Vandenberg AFB in 1967, he returned to Merritt Island with his family to pursue a 29 year career as a contractor with Bendix, Pan Am, Boeing, and EG and G, on the base operations contract. Mr. Tate was best known for the love of his wife and family. Since retiring from the aerospace industry in 1995, he has been dedicated to hisfavorite past times, fishing, browsing the flea markets, and caring for his pets.  Mr.
Tate was a crash crew team member during the Korean War and was one of the
founding members of the Courtenay Volunteer FireDepartment on North
Merritt Island. A self described ''Steely Eyed Missileman'', he was a
missile instructor during his last 12 years in the Air Force and a member
of launch teams for various manned and unmanned space flight launches from
1957 to 1995. He was also a dedicated, long time member of the
International Association of Machinists, Local 2061 and a firm believer in
the value of union membership. A strong butgentle man, Mr. Tate will be
missed by all who knew and loved him. Calling hours will be5:00 p.m. to
8:00 p.m. today, December 31, 2000, atWylie-Baxley Merritt Island Chapel.
Services will be held onMonday, January 1, at2:00 p.m., at The Ark
ofCalvary Church located at190 Grant Rd. on North Merritt Island. Mr. Tate
will be interred at Florida Memorial Gardens in Rockledge
immediatelyfollowing the services.
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