Faron Earl Pate

Faron Earl Pate, 70, of Gordo, AL passed away on February 15th at home surrounded by his family.
He is survived by his wife, Vanessa; daughters Kelly (John) Windham and Amanda (Ben) Snipes; grandchildren Logan Snipes, Lainey Snipes, and Clifton Windham; sister Joyce Montgomery; sister-in-law Betty Gayle Pate; and special nephew Jason (Tara) Sullivan. He is also survived by his four-legged companions Charlie, Smokey, Harry Truman, Bob, and Ruby, as well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents and siblings Leroy Pate, Ralph Elton Pate Sr., and Wanda Sullivan.
Faron was born on October 10th, 1954 to Raymond and Myrtie Lee Pate at their home in the Bostic community. He was the youngest of five children and he loved the area where he grew up, seldom wanting to leave. Faron married his high-school sweetheart, Vanessa Falls Pate, on April 5th, 1975. They built their home near the place he grew up and they were married for almost 50 years.
Family was very important to Faron and he often told people how blessed he was to have been married to his "Bride" for so long and to have raised two wonderful daughters. He always bragged on his two sons-in-law and his three grandchildren. Nothing made him happier than to have all of his people in his house, even though he'd often slip away to listen from the comfort of his man-cave. His family knew how much they were loved by him because he never let them leave his house without a big hug and telling them that he loved them.
Faron also had a love for the outdoors. His favorite place to be was in the woods, just him and God, watching the sun rise and the world wake up. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and had many stories that he loved to share. Faron also enjoyed spending time instilling that same love of the outdoors in the younger generations. He was "Uncle Faron" to so many and he loved them like they were his own.
Faron was always a hard worker and a great provider for his family. As a youth, he spent many hours logging in the woods with his Dad. After graduation from Gordo High School in 1974, he went to work in the oil field for about 11 years. After that, he worked for The University of Alabama for 25 years before he retired. Retirement brought him more time for piddling. You never knew what he'd be working on when you came to see him. He enjoyed welding and metal work and made many unique creations over the years. He never sold his art but gifted it to many family members and friends. If you have a Faron Pate original, you know it was made with love.
Those who knew Faron best knew that he had a wicked sense of humor and was sarcastic to the core. He could spin the biggest tale and tell it all with a straight face so that you didn't know if you should believe him or not. Even though his last year and a half was filled with lots of doctor's appointments and a few hospital stays, he never lost that wit. During his last days, he kept his family and his medical attendants laughing and for that we are forever thankful.
The family would like to thank nurse Ashley Delaney, the CCU staff of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, Dr. Bart Williams, Dr. Ana Bonetti Lugo, and the Advanced Heart Failure Team at UAB Hospital for the excellent care that they've provided over the past 18 months and to Jenny Martin and Hospice of West Alabama for helping us with that final transition.
A memorial service will be planned for a later date and will be announced by the family at that time.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Samaritan's Purse or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Faron's memory.