A memorial service for Howard Tate will be held Saturday in the Chapel of Smart & Son, Leesville at
1 p.m. The funeral home will open at noon.
Howard, 71, passed away Oct. 27, 2009 at 6:15 p.m. at home. He was cremated.
A native of Carlsbad, N.M., he lived in the Slagle /Simpson area for the last 12 years, but before
that he lived in Butte, Mont. for approximately 15 years. Howard played the guitar and the pedal steel guitar professionally; he played for numerous groups throughout the United States and some foreign countries. He loved to play all night and then
go fishing only to leave there and go out to play some golf. He loved life and living it, recalls his wife. He was an artist and a cook; everyone says that he was good at both. He even had his own website, which features his own music at
“charmedmusic.com.” He last played with the group Rusty Wilson & High Life.
Survivors are his wife Charlene Tate of the Slagle/Simpson area; his children, Presley “Sonny” Tate of Calif., Myra Roland of Colo., Steve Hinkle and
Debbie of Leesville and Wendy and Roy Muniz of Hurricane, Utah, along with Archie Hinkle of California, Paul Phipps of Slagle and Garret Phipps of Mobile, Ala.; one sister Pat Gerhart of Mobile, Alaba.; nine grandchildren; and five great
grandchildren.
Mr. Tate is preceded in death by one son John Tate, and two sisters Wanda Flennor and June Christensen.
Words of comfort may be left for the family at Howard@charmedmusic.com.