Born on the first day of spring, in Nacogdoches, TX. Moved to Houston following five years in the U.S. Army during World War II, including a stint as a staff sergeant following Gen George Patton through France in a critical stage of the combat. Fell in love with flying the first time he saw a small plane at the age of 8. Later became a pilot, even owned his own plane, flying over many parts of the U.S. in the 1950-'s working for Dickson Drilling, Company. Fell in love and four months later married Margaret Fern Byerly on July 20, 1946. Along with one of Margaret's brothers, Benjamin Forrest Byerly, built from scratch a good-size tug boat to go with two other crew boats, and together owned Byerly & Pate Boat Rentals, which provided transportation for oil workers drilling in the Gulf of Mexico in the 1950's. Moved the family from Houston to Deer Park, TX in 1958 and became the chief mechanic at Cliff Hyde Flying Service in nearby LaPorte, while Margaret began Deer Park's first child care center in their home. Soon thereafter, he and Margaret together operated Chris Pate's Child Care Center from 1960-94, at its long height overseeing 99 children a day and helping pioneer Deer Park through a long stretch of its history. Moved with Margaret to Spring, TX in 1996, where they made many more friends up and down FM 1960 where their musician son Rex sang and played the piano. Chris became best known there as "Slick" a nickname given him by his first grandchild, Chris "Buddy" Pate, III many years previous. Also in their later years, owned another residency deep in the East Texas Piney Woods town of Hemphill, where Margaret had grown up. He is preceded in death by his sister, Lucille Pate Byerly, and leaves behind many family members and friends, including his wife, Margaret; sons, Chris, Jr., Steve and Rex; grandchildren, Chris III, Dawn Martin and Harmony Pate; great-grandchildren, Ethan Pate and Madison Martin; and his sisters Marquerite Thomason, Gussie Lee Brocato and Melba McKee.