Dr. John W. Pate

June 11, 1941 - April 22, 2025

Fort Worth, Texas - Dr. John Woodrow Pate, Jr. died peacefully at home on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at the age of 83.

Memorial Service: 10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 17, 2025 at Robert Carr Chapel – TCU

John was born on June 11, 1941, in Shreveport Louisiana. He was the eldest son of Dr. John Woodrow and Era Jeanne Pate. John grew up in Alpine, Texas, where his father worked as a local physician. John attended Alpine High School where he played football as the starting high school quarterback. After graduating in 1959, he attended the University of Texas, graduating in 1964, and married his college sweetheart, Judy Summers. Following college graduation, he went to the University of Texas Dental School, receiving his D.D.S. in 1968. John attended medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, receiving his MD in 1971. From 1971-1972 he completed an internship in Salt Lake City, Utah. He then completed his residency at the UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas with a focus on general surgery, otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. He owned and operated a plastic surgery office in El Paso, Texas for over 40 years. He was certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery as well as the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He and his wife Rhonda established the John and Rhonda Pate Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Law at UT Law School in 2000 and the John and Rhonda Pate Professorship in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at UT Southwestern in 2004. In 2000, Governor Rick Perry appointed John as a member of the Texas Medical Board, on which he served from 2001-2007.

In addition to his profession and career, John had a passion for life outside medicine. His hobbies included piano playing, scuba diving, skiing, sailing, and mountain climbing. Usually with his family in tow, he skied throughout the Rocky Mountains and Swiss and French Alps; John skippered bareboat monohulls off the coast of California, British Virgin Islands and Grenadines; he climbed all the Class 4 peaks in the Elk Range of Colorado and the Grand Teton in Wyoming. He also summited the Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland, and Mont Blanc in Chamonix France. None of these, however, could match his love for aviation. Starting at the age of 49, John became a pilot with a commercial rating, an instrument rating, a multi-engine rating, and a single pilot Citation 500 jet rating. He ultimately logged over 3000 hours of flight time. When he wasn't climbing a mountain or flying over one, he enjoyed rocking on the balcony at his home in Snowmass, Colorado, his favorite place of all. His dedication to his family, his spirit of adventure, and his joy in living stand as a shining example of a life well lived.

John is preceded in death by his parents; Dr. John Woodrow Pate, Sr. in 1999, Era Jeanne Boettger in 2007; and his first wife and mother of his two sons, Judy Pate, in 1989.

John is survived by his beloved wife of 30 years, Rhonda K. Pate of Ft. Worth; his two sons, Jay and wife, Samantha of Dallas, Texas and Matt and wife, Catherine, of Dallas, Texas; his two brothers, Dr. Bart Pate and wife, Cathy of Ft. Worth, Dr. Mark Pate and wife, Margie of Rocky Mount, North Carolina; six grandchildren, Presley, George, Sam, Alice, Jack Pate and Gage Hampton; and many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations be made in memory of Dr. Pate to The Salvation Army of North Texas 214-637-8220 PO Box 36006 Dallas, TX 75235.