Roger D. Pate (Lebanon)'s Obituary
Roger D. Pate was born to Annie Lee (Moss) and John D. Pate on December 26, 1934, in Nashville, Tennessee. He said his family was so poor that they couldn’t afford to give him a middle name.
He was raised partially by his very loving grandmother and joined the Army at age sixteen. His Army travels included two tours of Germany and sparked a lifelong love of natural beauty and travel.
Roger was an overcomer. He overcame a lack of education, poverty and addictions. He shared this wisdom, “live within your means but live now for you never know what is around the next corner.” Roger knew how to have fun.
He was a guide to many who sought his advice. The following words summarize Roger’s philosophy:
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
Roger met and married Doris Weber when he was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood. He loved and was loved by her family. Roger and Doris and their daughter, Deborah, moved to Kansas City and remained there until he and Doris retired to Lebanon in 1996.
He worked as a grounds and maintenance superintendant at the University of Missouri Kansas City for thirty-two years. The UMKC campus was an oasis of beauty; green, green lawns and tall oaks with beautiful stonework often completed by Roger himself. Roger kept all of his properties really mowed and trimmed and for those of you who parked on his grass….well…he didn’t like that!
He enjoyed many interests and hobbies including westerns, Hank Williams’ music, visiting friends and family, collecting, traveling, and taking photographs of each state and national park as he traveled through them.
Roger was a straight talker. He knew how to cut to the chase, get to the nub of a situation and get to the point. He meant what he said and said what he meant. Only three weeks before he passed, he was still instructing his daughter on the sensible place to park to avoid being hit by a car.
He was a man of action, innovation and honesty. He was a protector and champion of the poor and helpless. He loved animals and mourned the destruction of clean water and the environment. His strong political views were shaped by seeing the suffering of those who could not help themselves. He taught that “he was no better than anyone nor was anyone better than him.”
He avoided trouble by being thorough and making good decisions. He was a man of strong will, determination and attention to detail. He loved his family deeply and especially his grandchildren, Meg, Holly, and Cameron. He loved jokes. His last joke being at the nursing home when his doctor asked him why he wasn’t eating, and although he had lost the ability to speak, he smiled and tried to say, “it’s all slop.”
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Doris, on March 30, 2004; two brothers, James and Wayne; and two sisters, Dorothy and Barbara Ann.
Roger is survived by his daughter, Deborah Muscha, of Republic, Missouri; three grandchildren, Megan Dunn, Holly Muscha, and Cameron Muscha; two brothers, Billy Pate, of Dallas, Texas, and Bobby Pate, of Nashville, Tennessee; a sister, Betty Sue Piper, of Knoxville, Tennessee; several nieces and nephews; his good friend and companion, Elizabeth Esther, of Lebanon, Missouri; as well as a host of other relatives and many friends.
He loved God and learned to calmly accept what God brought into his life. He will be remembered. He is missed!
Memorial donations may be made to Ozark's Food Harvest, and left at the funeral home
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