Richard William Pate Jr.

1931 - 2017

November 12, 1931 - July 24, 2017 Richard William ("Billy") Pate, Jr., M.D., Rancho Mirage, CA, age 85, passed away peacefully on July 24, 2017 from complications of diabetes and kidney failure with two of his children by his side. A skilled, versatile and well-respected Black American physician, Dr. Pate practiced medicine in Los Angeles, California, from 1970 and in the U.S. Virgin Islands (1980-1981) until his retirement in 2015. He performed medical internships and residencies in otolaryngology, head, neck and general surgery at Los Angeles County General Medical Center, Santa Fe Railroad Association Hospital and White Memorial Medical Center. At Santa Fe Hospital (1974-1980), he was Chief Otolaryngologist, also known for performing exemplary reconstructive plastic surgeries. Born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, to Richard William and Dorothy Murray Pate and raised in Washington, D.C., Dr. Pate graduated from Dunbar High School in 1950; and received both a B.S. degree in Chemistry in 1956 and a medical degree in 1965 from Howard University. He served in the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1958. He earned a Master's degree in Health Administration from California State University, San Bernardino in 1995 and was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He is survived by his four children, Paris Pate, Kim Pate, Whitney Pate and Kelley Bond, former spouse, Wallace Pate, sister Ivy Pate Shepard Estrada, brother-in-law Ruben Estrada, nieces, nephews and cousins. Those who preceded him in death are his parents and former spouses Peggy Joyce Winston and Liloutie Jagashar Alarcia. The family will hold a private ceremony to honor his life. He will be remembered for the unique individual and great man that he was. An avid sailor and tennis player for most of his life, he also enjoyed the fine arts and sports. As someone close to him recently remarked, "Billy lived a long and fabulous life."