Michael D. Pitman: Column: Michael Pate's legacy is love and care for family and community
Jul. 21—Michael James Pate was known to many as the guy to call when you needed an appliance fixed in the city of Hamilton.
Pate Appliance, which was started by his father, Joe, and is now run by two of his sons, Adam and Tom, and is a Hamilton icon, being the oldest continuously family owned appliance repair shop in the city.
Michael died earlier this month, on July 10, at the age of 77, but being the appliance repair guy isn't his legacy. I mean, it is one of his legacies, but not what he'll forever be remembered for. At least by his family.
Tom Pate said his father's legacy is his family, because "he trained us on how to be a family" and being "a pretty lovable bunch."
"He taught us how to be a family and taught us how to be responsible members of the community," said Tom. "He transferred the love of music to all us; almost all of us are musicians in some form or another. And has always taught us to appreciate other people and their differences."
He also taught them to be tenacious and stand on their own two feet.
Then there's respect. And being honorable.
Michael Pate was born on March 9, a graduate of Garfield High School and attended college at Otterbein, where he met his wife Hilda. They sang together while in college, and even traveled to Paris as Otterbein students to sing.
Michael and Hilda were married on Aug. 6, 1966, until her death in 2011.
But throughout their 45 years of marriage, they mostly sang together in church, singing classical choral music.
Michael Pate didn't start out as the appliance repair guy. He pursued a 9-to-5 job and sold insurance for a little bit. Then he tried out construction before deciding his place in the world was working for his dad.
It really was where he belonged, finding he had a knack for the repair business, and expanding into different types of appliances. He was mostly self-taught because there weren't many opportunities outside of apprenticeships to learn the trade decades ago, Tom said.
He expanded the business after eventually taking it over from his dad in 1978.
He could often be found smiling, but especially when he was around his family, which includes sons Scott, Tom and Adam, and his five grandchildren.
"He was involved in whatever we were involved in," said Tom, "and, you know, kept us from screwing up too bad."
That's not a bad legacy to have. A family that loves you as much as you love them, because that's the most important thing.
Memorial contributions in Michael Pate's memory may be made to Harvest Christian Fellowship Church, 1245 Ross Ave., Hamilton, OH 45013.
