Pete Tate, Class of 1965

Howard K. “Pete” Tate Jr. graduated from Hollidaysburg High School with the Class of 1965.  Pete was born in North Carolina, but later moved to the Hollidaysburg District.  During his tenure at HAHS, Pete lettered in four sports: baseball, track, wrestling and football.

Pete was a tight end and placekicker for the Golden Tiger, earning himself the nickname “The Toe” for his one time record of 33 of 46 Points after Touchdown (PATs).  Tate regularly appeared in the Yesteryears section of the Altoona Mirror, featuring game highlights and his outstanding point’s record.  As a wrestler, he and two other athletes earned the moniker “The Wrecking Crew”.

After graduating, Pete enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, but was unable to serve due to being partially deaf.  He and his wife, Linda (Holland, Class of 1963) were high school sweethearts and had two sons together.  The family became very involved in their church, school and community.  The family settled in the York area, where Pete earned his Practical Engineer Certification from Penn State York.  He also coached Northeastern Boys Club football and played semi-professional football for the York Lions.  He worked at and retired from DONSCO where he was the Mechanical Engineering Supervisor.

Pete was a member of St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Loyal Order of the Moose, the Seagrave Social Club, and the Big Elk Camp in Blackwell, PA. Pete was a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of York, an honor bestowed to donors that commit to ongoing financial support of the Rotary and its missions and programs.  In addition to hunting and fishing, Pete enjoyed golf, bowling and volunteering for political campaigns.  He was a diehard fan of the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pete Tate sadly passed away at the age of 75 on October 16, 2022 after complications from cancer, leaving his wife Linda, his sons Bryan, David, their spouses, and five grandchildren.  Pete’s legacy lives on at his sons’ alma mater, the Spring Grove Area School District, which created the Pete and Linda Tate Family Music & Theater Department at the high school, thanks to Pete’s estate gift to their Education Foundation.  Gifts in memory of Pete to the Hollidaysburg Area School District Foundation can carry on his legacy at his own alma mater.