Henry Burton Tate, Jr.

Henry Burton Tate, Jr. departed this life on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to Henry Burton Tate, Sr., and Jessie Stewart Tate, on May 26, 1940.

Henry was baptized as an infant at Mt. Zion Methodist Episcopal Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was there that he was educated in Christian knowledge and values. Henry participated regularly and energetically in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Junior Choir, and he was a leader in the Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF). He was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout.

During his childhood years, Henry was educated at Hoffman Elementary School and Walnut Hills High School, a college preparatory school. He participated in several school activities, and he was well liked by fellow students.

After his secondary education, he went on to the University of Cincinnati where he was initiated into the Beta Eta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. During his time, he held the positions of chapter president and secretary. He was also instrumental in having the university officially recognize the organization on the Interfraternal Council and he ultimately became a Kappa Alpha Psi life member, participating in local chapter events over the years.

Henry joined the Fifth Third Union Trust Company after graduating from the University of Cincinnati. From there, his career grew. In over thirty-two years, he served in various corporate Financial Management positions in addition to earning a master's degree in business administration, majoring in accounting, and minoring in Finance and Economics. He worked with the International Business Machine Corporation as a Data Processing Assistant Systems Engineer and became a Financial Graduate Student with the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. His career at Westinghouse led him to various cities - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Arlington, Virginia, and Coral Springs, Florida before moving to Columbia, Maryland in 1979. With his last role as the Human Resources Financial Manager. He was active professionally with the Black Human Resources Network of Baltimore and other community organizations in Baltimore City and in Howard County.

When in Pittsburgh in 1967, he met and married Arleen Banks. Together they had two children, Leray Tate and Stacey Tate.

Henry was a music enthusiast, especially for the Blues. He volunteered at WPFW 89.3 FM for many years and supported "The Bama Hour" becoming a fixture as a volunteer staff member. He continued to express his love of the Blues through joining the DC Blues Society, the Baltimore Blues Society, the Diamond State Blues Society, and the Society of Central PA and traveling the country to attend Blues Festivals. Henry was well known to Blues communities including the Dayton Blues Society, the Cincy Blues Society, and the Delaware Blues Society. He could always be seen dancing and volunteering at Blues festivals and earned the names: "Brother T", "The Man, the Myth, the Legend", and the "Blues Ambassador".

In addition to his love of music, Henry developed an interest in his family's history that led to over 25 years of research on his family tree using various web sites and researchers. He researched both his parents' families: the Tate, Ard, Stewart, Jackson, and Young families. He traced the life of his paternal great-grandfather, Rev. Henry Wister Tate, D.D., a Methodist minister, and a freed slave. Rev. Tate was freed from a plantation in Clay County, North Carolina. A drawing by Rev. Tate of his plantation home along with a list of the constellations and the Greek alphabet was found inside a book. That drawing and other information on the life of Rev. Tate is featured in the Old Jail Museum, Hayesville, North Carolina. Henry was present for dedication and opening of that museum in 2016.

Henry formalized the family tree by adding stories and facts about family members. He uncovered many unknown family members, and he spearheaded family gatherings. The purpose was for family members to meet and learn about each other and to remain connected. That effort continues because of his leadership.

Henry was preceded in by death by his father, Henry Burton Tate, Sr., and his father's wife - Almarie Hudson Tate, his mother Jessie Stewart Tate, his brother William "Bill" Nelson Tate, the mother of his children, Arleen Banks Tate, his paternal grandmother, Hannah Riley Tate, his maternal grandparents, William Bryant Stewart, and Ennis Jackson Stewart.

Henry is survived by his son Leray Tate (Heather Tate), his daughter, Stacey Wolf (Michael Wolf), two grandsons and two granddaughters.

Additional survivors include his sisters: Juanita Stewart Tate and Vickie Lynn Tate; his stepbrother Garry Leslie Tate and numerous loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and loving friends.

His favorite quote was "It is good to be seen and not viewed," by Jerry "The Bama" Washington. Henry will be missed by his family and friends.

In lieu of flowers please donate to the DC Blues Society https://www.dcblues.org/donations

Or

the Music Maker Foundation https://musicmaker.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/musicmaker/donation.jsp