David Alexander Pate

David Alexander Pate died peacefully in his sleep at home on the 9th February 2024 at the age of 64.

David was a writer, journalist, brother, husband, father and grandfather who left a lasting mark on everyone he met. Driven by a keen sense of curiosity, David never sat still. He juggled a busy schedule and couldn’t turn down an opportunity to learn or try something new. He lived in the moment and had a genuine interest in others—people were drawn to him for his sharp wit and charisma. He was a natural storyteller, shifting from journalism to authorship in his retirement.

David was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on the 20th October 1959 to Alexander and Eleanor Pate (née Findlay). As a boy, he demonstrated an early love of reading and writing. He moved to Dublin, Ireland, with his family as a child. David began working at the Tullamore Tribune in 1978 and cut his teeth in journalism as a reporter. In 1981, he moved back to Dublin to work at RTÉ where he worked as a program editor and TV news anchor.

He met Gemma (née O'Riordan) in Dublin in the 70s and they were married in 1981. In 1989, David was offered a job with the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) and they immigrated to Nova Scotia, settling in central Halifax. He became a Canadian citizen in 1995. In 2017, David and Gemma moved to Dartmouth.

While living In Ireland, David and Gemma welcomed two children, Rebecca in 1984 and Alex in 1988. Abigail arrived in 1991 as the first Canadian child by birth in the family. David loved being a father and, more recently, grandfather to Harrison, Sullivan, Sadie and Theodore.

David had a successful career in television and radio broadcasting, working through the ranks as a producer for over 30 years at the CBC. He was also a familiar voice on the CBC Radio’s Maritime Noon as a backup host. His work has been heard, seen and read on RTÉ, BBC, ABC (Australia), Sunday Tribune, Irish Times, Irish Independent, Irish Press, Daily Express, The National (Scotland), Daily News (Halifax) and The Chronicle Herald (Halifax).

He eventually retired in October 2020, using his newly acquired spare time to enrol on the creative nonfiction writing program at King’s College in Halifax. He met a cohort who he used as a sounding board for his writing and he formed many deep friendships. He graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction in 2023.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, David took up scuba diving later in life, which would become his passion. He was always driving across Nova Scotia to explore the Atlantic waters with a community of other divers. He travelled the world to explore the ocean—from the Great Barrier Reef to the Mariana Trench—and would take the family to visit the Yucatan in Mexico in the summers, where he would spend his days exploring cenotes or underwater wrecks. He became a PADI Scuba Instructor in 2016 and taught for the Torpedo Rays dive shop in Dartmouth. He was in the ocean most weekends. He was voted Torpedo Rays Scuba Instructor of the Year in 2021 - 2023 and then Instructor of the Decade in January 2024.

David’s dream of becoming an author became a reality when he secured a publishing deal in 2023 for his first book, Changing Our Tunes: Why National Anthems Fall Flat, which is set to be published in September 2024. He also produced a podcast called National Anthems: The Worst Songs in the World. He was well into drafting his second piece of nonfiction.

David’s many hobbies, pursuits, his warm nature and his travels mean that he made an impact on a huge amount of people and he will be missed tremendously.

David is survived by his wife, three children and brothers Alastair, Gordon and Bruce. The family have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and condolences from those who knew him and wish to thank everyone for their kindness during this challenging time.

The Celebration of Life will take place on Friday the 23rd February 2024 at 1pm at Cruikshank’s Halifax Funeral Home on Windsor Street in Halifax.

Donations can be made to MS Canada in lieu of flowers.

https://mscanada.donorportal.ca/Donation/Donation.aspx

To register and join livestream of celebration please follow: https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony?c=77c5012e-e5a3-48c3-be91-711994f167bf