Joel was born March 19, 1930 at Rattan, OK, the 5th child of 7, to Eliza Ann (Smith) Tate & George Romallus Tate Sr.
Joel was schooled at Buffalo & Matoy, OK until about the age of 13 years, when the family moved to Hanford, WA during the construction there. He attended Richland High School and later graduated from Riverview High June 1949.
January 6, 1949, his father passed away. Joel worked 2 years for the city of Kennewick, WA at Property Survey with American Engineering Co. & Morris Knudsen Co.
On March 7, 1951, Joel was drafted into the U.S. Army & sent to Ft. Lewis, WA, then Ft. Gordon Georgia for 6 weeks, then Camp Cook, CA, basic training, then Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey for 8 months of radio repairman training & then last to San Luis Obispo, CA for field training. He received an honorable discharge March 6, 1953.
By 1953 Joel entered C.W.C.E. at Ellensburg, WA to study for an electrical engineering degree. There at a Wed. night mixer dance he met Janice J Shinn, a home economics ed. student. They attended the Homecoming football game & dance that weekend & continued their education for the next 2 years.
They married Sept. 17, 1955 before going on to W.S.C. at Pullman, WA. Joel worked in the wheat harvest and Janice helped cook summers. Joel helped finance his education and later a home by the G. I. Bill also.
Sept. 23, 1956, their son Curtis K. Tate was born at Connell, WA. Upon 3 more years of studies and graduation of June 1958, Joel accepted an offer from Convair Astronautics at San Diego, CA, as an Electrical Engineer. He worked on the Atlas Missile system for the next 8 years.
On September 22, 1960, son Brain J. Tate was born at San Diego, CA, and to complete our family, daughter Kathryn A Tate arrived April 2, 1965, San Diego, CA.
In 1966 Joel accepted employment at Ford aero neutronics at Costa Mesa, CA, moving the family there in 1967. Here they lived until 1973. They moved home to WA state to be near relatives and farming, working first at Shinn & Son hop ranch, then buying his own orchard vineyard at Granger, WA.
This kept him busy for 30 years along with motor home travel and cruising some to Hawaii, Alaska, and more with Janice and family. For hobbies, he enjoyed woodworking, building & refurbishing vehicles of all kinds.
After selling the farm in Oct. 2012, he then enjoyed retirement at a Yakima condo with no lawn to mow and his easy lift chair.
Joel is survived by his wife, Janice, his 3 children, Curtis (Jacquetta), Brian (Judith), and Kathy Tate, his 11 grandchildren: Corie Ratliff, Justin Bailey, Kevin Tate, Elizabeth Tate, Kristina Perez, Michael Tate, Hannah Tate, Hollie Tate, Heather Tate, Stephanie Santana, and Sheena Torres. Joel is also survived by his 18 great grandchildren, 2 sisters, Patricia McFarlin (Denton McFarlin), and Donis Lolkema (Conrad Lolkema). His predeceased family is: mother & father and siblings Wadus Tate, Geraldine Smith Pauline McMahan, and George Tate Jr.
We wish to thank our granddaughter Sheena, Mountain View Health, and Cottage in the Meadow for the loving care of Joel.
Visitation will be held at Keith & Keith Funeral Home on Monday, April 30 from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at Keith & Keith Funeral Home on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. Concluding services with military honors will follow at Terrace Heights Memorial Park. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.keithandkeith.com.
