R. Gordon Pate

1947 - 2020

Robert Gordon Pate of Birmingham, AL. passed away peacefully surrounded by his devoted wife, Shawnie Pate, and his loving family, on June 27, 2020. He was 72 years old. Born on September 20, 1947, to James Willard Pate and Martha Carolyn Pate, Gordon was raised on Pine Mountain with his only sibling, James Gary Pate, until the family moved to Gardendale in 1956. He started school on Pine Mountain in a one-room schoolhouse and went on to graduate from Phillips High School in 1965, the University of Alabama in 1969, and Samford University's Cumberland School of Law in 1974. In 1969 he married Lenora Pate with whom he had two sons, Gavin McShan Pate and Robert Ashby Pate. For more than 45 years, Gordon was an attorney who represented thousands of injured individuals and gained a reputation for being one of the best trial lawyers in Alabama. He was elected to many prestigious organizations, including the International Society of Barristers, whose highly selective membership is extended only to lawyers of exceptional talent and whose qualities include integrity, honor, and collegiality. He was admired by advocates on both sides, respected by judges and jurors alike, and esteemed by the many lawyers he trained up along the way. Gordon loved Shakespeare, the theater, great literature, gourmet food and wine, and sports. He quoted obscure verses from William Shakespeare and Jimmy Buffett on demand; he could name every member of the 1969 Mets for some reason; and he played some of the most legendary golf courses in the world. A self-taught gourmet, he prepared meals with some of the finest chefs in the country at the many charity auctions he helped champion, and he drank wine with some of the most celebrated wine makers of our age. His depth of interest and knowledge in all subjects-from politics and religion to the arts and the law-displayed a unique and expansive intellect and an appetite for the beauty of the world. He was known by his five grandchildren-Mason, Beckett, Rhea, Oa, and Veda Rose-as "Pops." They loved him dearly. He coached football at Phillips High School in the early 1970's, as well as his sons' little league teams throughout the 1980s-so he was also known by hundreds of young men in Birmingham simply as "Coach." He was one of life's true originals, and he will be sorely missed by all who survive him-his wife Shawnie, his brother Gary, his sons Gavin and Ashby, his many grandchildren, his extended family, and his devoted friends. Because of the current public health crisis, a celebration of his life will be planned for a later date. Instead of flowers, Gordon would want you to wake up and vote for someone other than Donald Trump.