July 9, 1953 ~ February 16, 2020 – (age 66)Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, Shirley Hunsaker Tate, 66, peacefully returned to her Heavenly Father on February 16, 2020 at her home in Riverdale, Utah surrounded by her family. She was born on July 9, 1953 in Tremonton, Utah and was the 4th of six children of Lee Warner and Arlene Waldron Hunsaker.
She was raised on her family’s farm in Elwood, Utah and graduated from Bear River High School. She attended Stevens-Henager Business College in Ogden, Utah where she met her husband, Charles Reed Tate. They were sealed in the Logan LDS Temple on the 8th of May, 1974. They made their home in Washington Terrace, Utah where they raised their four children and their love for each other continued to grow. In 2005 they built a new home in Riverdale, Utah and have enjoyed the many new friendships they have made there. Over the years, we enjoyed many fun family vacations and more recently Mom and Dad made it their goal to attend as many temples and baseball parks as they could.
Upon graduation, she worked as a secretary for Western Mortgage for four years. After taking time off to raise her family, she returned to work as a secretary at the Ogden LDS Institute of Religion at Weber State. She touched the lives of many students and created lasting relationships with the other secretaries and faculty for 28 years, retiring in 2018. Shirley loved the Institute and we as a family all benefited from the time she spent there.
She was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served as President of the Relief Society, Young Women’s, and Primary organizations. Her favorite calling was serving as a music leader in the Primary. She loved how each of these experiences enriched her life. Her strong faith and testimony of Jesus Christ helped sustain her through her trials and set a wonderful example for all of us to follow.
Shirley is survived by her loving husband; her children, Brandon Charles (Yvette) Tate of South Weber, Michael Dwain (Melissa) Tate of Riverdale, Steven Lee (Wendy) Tate of Ogden, and Tonya (Trever) Avery of Riverdale; and 15 grandchildren with number 16 arriving in May. She is also survived by her siblings, Wayne (Jean – deceased) Hunsaker, Linda (Blair) Summers, Gary (Teresa) Hunsaker, and Ross (Tami) Hunsaker. She was preceded in death by her parents, her younger brother, Brad, and her angel baby.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 10:30am at the Riverdale Utah Stake Center, 4000 Parker Drive, Riverdale, Utah. Friends may visit with family on Friday from 6:00 – 8:00pm and Saturday from 9:00 – 10:00am at the church. Interment, Riverdale Hill Crest Cemetery, Riverdale, Idaho, 3200 North 1600 East, just a few miles from Preston, Idaho.
Her family wishes to express their appreciation to her many doctors, nurses, and caregivers. We are truly grateful to our family, friends, and neighbors who have shared their love and support.
We love you, Mom! As Dad always said, “You are the prettiest girl in the room!” We know that we will be together again someday!
Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at lindquistmortuary.com