Sherwood Clifton Tate, Sr., 83, died on Saturday, October 13, 2012 at Hospice Cleveland County Wendover.  A native of Cleveland County, he was the son of the late Roland Clifton and Fannie Ellis Tate.  He was also preceded in death by his brother, Roland Ellis Tate and his sister, Genieve Duncan.  Mr. Tate was a retired pharmacist from CVS Pharmacy.  He was a member of First Baptist Church, American Legion Post 82 and the N.C. Pharmaceutical Association.  Sherwood served his country honorably for four years in the U.S. Navy.  He was a hospital corpsman on the Sarasota ship during the Korean War.  He attended Mars Hill College, Gardner-Webb College and was a graduate of Southern College of Pharmacy in Atlanta, Ga. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather.

Sherwood is survived by his wife of 58 years, Elizabeth Dolores Poston Tate; a son, Sherwood Clifton Tate, Jr. of Maitland, Florida; a daughter, Suzanne Kauffman and husband Brian Kauffman of Boulder, CO; two grandsons, Ashton and Bronson Tate; one granddaughter, Anna Kauffman; several caring nieces and nephews; and extended family members and special friends.

A celebration of life service will be held at 2:00pm on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 in the Webb Chapel at First Baptist Church in Shelby.  The Rev. Tony Tench will be officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Cemetery with Military Rites.  The family will receive friends from 1:00 – 2:00pm prior to the service in the ladies parlor.  At other times the family will be at the home.

The family would like to thank his doctors, the staff at Cleveland Regional Medical Center and the staff at Hospice Cleveland County for the loving care given to Sherwood during his illness.  The family would also like to thank the members of First Baptist Church for their prayers and support.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Baptist Church Building Fund, 120 N. Lafayette Street, Shelby, NC 28150 or Hospice Cleveland County, 951 Wendover Heights Drive, Shelby, NC 28150.

Cecil Burton Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the family of Mr. Tate.