William "Tommy" Thomas Tate

William Thomas “Tommy” Tate of Newburgh, Indiana passed away on April 29, 2023, at Deaconess Linda E. White Hospice House in downtown Evansville Indiana after a short illness.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William Leslie and Elise Gregory Tate and his sister, Rosemary Tate Creel.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Millie; a sister, Carolyn Oglesby of Katy, Texas; a brother, Donald Tate of Lenoir, North Carolina; several nephews and nieces, and numerous grand-nephews and grand-nieces.

Mr. Tate served in the US Army after World War II and was stationed in Germany. After military service, he attended Murray State University earning a BA in Music Education. It was during this time he met the love of his life, Millie Wood Tate, after being introduced by his sister at Murray State University. They married in 1959. He later returned to Murray State to earn his MME Master of Music Education.

He began his music education career as a Band Director at the Muhlenberg Central High School in Powderly, Kentucky. In 1961, he and Millie moved to Henderson, Kentucky where he became Director of Choral Music for the Henderson County School System with responsibility for the music programs for K-12 students until 1977.

During his time at Henderson County High School, Mr. Tate’s choral groups earned numerous awards and superior ratings at state festivals. He formed a select choir “his Acappella Choir”. The choir gained a state and national reputation as one of the finest high school choral ensembles in the nation. Mr. Tate was asked to bring his choir to Europe and sing alongside 17 nationally recognized high school choirs at the Festival of Three Cities in Vienna, Austria, Prague and Budapest in June of 1973.

While in Henderson, he also served as the Choir Director at Bennett Memorial Methodist Church. He directed the Adult & Youth Choirs and led three worship services each week.

He attended continuing music education workshops with nationally recognized conductors including Dr. Paul Christiansen, conductor of the Concordia Choir, Dr. Olaf Christiansen, conductor of the St. Olaf Choir, and Dr. Robert Shaw, Dr. Lara Hoggard and Dr. Robert Baar of Murray State University.

Mr. Tate later focused on his religious studies in continuing education seminars at the Billy Graham School of Evangelism and studied under Dr. Bruce Leafblad, Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX a workshop on Music and Worship.

Between 1977- 1980, Mr. Tate served as head of the music department, Director of Choral Activities and voice teacher at Lindsey Wilson Jr. College in Columbia, Kentucky. This school is associated with the United Methodist Church. He also taught a class on music and worship for pastoral students.

He served one year as Choral Director for Campbell County Schools in Cold Springs, Kentucky and taught a methods class for music students at Northern Kentucky University. Mr. Tate returned to Henderson, Kentucky in 1981 serving as the Minister of Music and Youth for Immanuel Baptist Church (IBT) until he retired in 1993. While at IBT he developed and maintained a full music program of three Children's Choirs, a Youth Choir, Adult Choir and Handbell Choir. His responsibilities included leading three services each week and maintaining a comprehensive Youth ministry.

During the years 1983 – 1987, he formed and conducted the Henderson Chamber Choir, a group of 16 very talented community singers. Due to Mr. Tate’s reputation, he served as a choral adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor for both the public schools and the Southern Baptist Convention. He was an approved worker for the KY Baptist Music Conference in Youth Choirs. He served as Kentucky President of the American Choral Directors Association and served in several positions with the Kentucky Music Educators Association.

Mr. Tate participated in civic and Christian mission organizations such as the Gideons International for 45 years and the Henderson Lions club, earning the Melvin Jones Fellow Award, the highest honor of the Lions Club, for dedicated humanitarian Services. He was also a Certified Lay Speaker in the UMC for many years and prior to covid restrictions, he visited patients living in nursing homes.

He had a lifelong interest in aviation and received his private pilot license. He was a frequent observer at the Evansville Regional Airport.

Mr. Tate was a devout Christian who studied, practiced, and walked a life of faith in Christ. He mentored many, helping them find their way.

Mr. Tate’s Service of Remembrance and Celebration will be held at The First United Methodist Church of Henderson, Kentucky at 3:00 PM, Thursday May 4, 2023 with longtime friend, Rev. Susie Reeder officiating. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Gardens. The address of the Church is 338 Third Street in Henderson, Ky.

The service will be proceeded by visitation beginning at 1:00 PM. There will also be visitation held from 2:00 – 7:00 PM, Wednesday May 3, 2023 at Tomblinson Funeral Home Henderson Chapel. The address is 325 First Street in Henderson, Ky.

Former choir students are welcome to assemble at First United Methodist Church prior to the service to rehearse the closing prayer sung, “The Lord Bless you and keep you.”

In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome to the Gideon’s International.