Winford Earl "Ticky" Tate, 48, of 616 Gardner St., passed away Thursday, July 9, 2009, at 8:15 p.m. at Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home, 686 Jeff Davis Drive Spartanburg.

Son of Opie Roberts Tate and the late Bobby Tate Jr., he was born Dec. 1, 1960, in Gaffney. He was a veteran of the

United States

Army. He first

joined Mikes Creek Baptist Church and later moved to Bethel Baptist Church. He was a 1979 graduate of Gaffney High School and was formerly employed by Jay's Convenience Store and Nestlé Frozen Food.

In addition to his mother, he is survived by six sisters, Bobbie Faye Daniels, Martha Jean Butler, Bobbie Phillips, Lois Dukes, all of Gaffney, Betty Faye Linder of Tennessee and Brenda Phillips of Henrietta, N.C.; four brothers, Freddie Tate, Rickety Tate, Kenny Knuckles and Floyd Horton, all of Gaffney; six aunts; two uncles; and a host of other relatives.

Services will be held Tuesday, July 14, at 3 p.m. at Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church with the Rev. C.A. Wallace, the Rev. Robert L. Dover, Dr. Joseph Sanders-Parks, the Rev. Modestine Manning and the Rev. P.O. Salmon. officiating. Interment will be in the church cemetery with military honors. Body will be placed in the church at 2 p.m.

Pallbearers will be Eric Coleman, Spencer Dawkins, Charles Durden, Frank Douglas Jr., Robert Douglas, John Marion Jamison, Scott Littlejohn, Randy Phillips, L.C. Roberts Jr. and Johnny Watkins.

The family is at the home of his sister and brother-in-law, Dennis and Bobbie Faye Daniels, 220 Den Hill Trail.

Foster Funeral Home of Gaffney in charge of arrangements.