UPDATE:
William Lewis Tate, 68, of Junction City, passed away on August 29, 2023, surrounded by his loving family and friends.
A visitation will take place Friday, September 8, 2023, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., at the Johnson Funeral Home. Cremation will take place per family's request. The memorial service will take place on Friday, September 15, 2023, at Faith Tabernacle Apostolic Church, 1010 Burke Dr, Junction City, KS 66441, at 1:00 p.m. A graveside service will follow at Kansas Veterans' Cemetery, 5181 Wildcat Creek Rd, Manhattan, KS 66503.
William Lewis Tate was born on January 6, 1955, in Gary, Indiana, to Nathaniel Winston and Yvonne Long. William, who family and friends often called “Tate," graduated in 1974 from Roosevelt High to pursue a career as a budget analyst for the City of Gary. He enlisted into the United States Army in 1982, where he served his country for ten years.Tate was an avid learner and a keen entrepreneur. At the end of his military career, he moved to Junction City, KS and attended Kansas State University, where he earned multiple degrees, in each of the following: Accounting, Bookkeeping, Business Management and Theology. In 1996, he opened his first business, “Laugh on Line," a computer service store. He eventually transitioned the business into Tate’s Enterprises, a tax and accounting business, which he maintained until his health declined. Tate was very social and a great storyteller. He never met a stranger. Tate enjoyed cooking, spending time with family, talking business, and traveling. He loved audiobooks and jazz music, especially Kenny G. If you asked him, he would declare himself as the champion of chess and the dominator in dominoes.
He is survived by his loving wife, Mollie Tate; siblings: Robert Long, Miranda Long, Orlanda Martin (Clotill), Austin Webster, Annette Winston, Joyce Winston, LaJuana Bryant (Wallace), Cheryl Harris, Valerie Tate, Jowanna Winston, and Pam Winston; children: Ametria Tate, William Tate Jr. (Patrice), Jenae Reid (Brandon), Alex Welch, Brantley Welch, Jessica Welch, and Jasmine Bichara (Hector); grandchildren: Jayden, Destiny, Jordan, Aeryanna, Jasianna, Joanna, Judah, Lyric, Kailyn, Karter, Joshua, and Baby Reid; great-grandson, Zayden Tate; and a vast host of loving family and friends. He will be greatly missed.