Longtime Garfield resident Larry Bruce Tate, 86, passed away on January 23, 2014 at Pullman Regional Hospital. At Bruce's request, no formal services will be held.

Bruce was born to Alice E. Hayden Tate and Thomas H. Tate in Butte, Montana on June 13, 1927. He attended schools in Tacoma, and graduated high school in Morton, WA. The Tate's were loggers in many areas of Washington State and shortly after high school at age 18 Bruce moved to Garfield. He purchased a truck for hauling grain and starting TATE & SON Trucking and Bruce spent the next 23 years single and driving truck.

He was seen regularly dancing at local grange dances, the Riverside dance hall outside of Potlatch and seeing live performers of the age such as Johnny Cash in 1958. Bruce loved music and had quite a collection of old records. During these years, he and a friend, Bill Humphrey, enjoyed Bruce's 1946 Chrysler with Rover Boys on the mud flap.

He met Patricia Ann McManus of Butte, Montana in the fall of 1968, and they were married May 31, 1969. Bruce and Patsy's life dance was best represented by the song "I just want to dance with you" recorded by George Strait. Though it came out 30 years after they met, they listened to it in the car and, until recently, dad would often dance with mom up until his knees had no more dance left in them. Bruce also taught all the kids to jitterbug in the front room of their home. Bruce and Patsy had four children: Leila Marie, Christopher William, Timothy Edward, and Gregory Thomas.

Bruce was known to have moved seven times while living in Garfield, all within a block. While Bruce was not a water or snow skier, his family enjoyed both and he loved driving his boats lap after lap until all the kids, cousins and friends were worn out from water skiing. Bruce, with his family, went on many trips. First, he had a green 1965 Dodge crew cab, then a green 1973 Dodge crew cab with the piggy back camper. They traveled from the Calgary Stampede, to Yellowstone National Park and all through the Pacific Northwest.

Bruce and his father Tom trucked the spire for the Garfield Christian church, moved the old metal span Colfax Bridge from its original location to a rural road outside of Colfax. Bruce also, hauled the Garfield float to the Lilac Parade, small town events and the Whitman County Fair for many years. Once hauling the float from Spokane's Lilac parade on May 18, 1980, he arrived and the float was under cover before inches of Mt. St. Helen's ash fell on Garfield. Bruce's greatest joy in life was being a father, grandfather and great grandfather.

Bruce is survived by his wife Patsy A. Tate; sister Shirley E. Baenen; daughter Leila M. Styer, sons Tim Tate and Greg Tate, niece Stephanie Baenen Bell, sister in law Janice Tate, nephew Keith Tate, niece Stacie Tate Campion, son in law Tom Styer, granddaughter Savanna Styer Quinlan and husband Kris Quinlan, grandson Mack A. Tate, granddaughter Christie A. Tate, great grandson Judd T. Quinlan, great granddaughter Kily J. Quinlan.

Bruce was preceded in death by his parents Tom and Alice Tate, his son Chris Tate, nephew T. Martin Baenen, niece Stacey Baenen McGahey, and his brother Jerry Wayne Tate.

The family suggests memorial contributions in Bruce's honor be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 6931 Arlington Road, 2nd floor Bethesda, Maryland 20814, in Memory of Bruce and in Honor of his great grandson Judd Thomas Quinlan.