Services for Southampton Legend Richard 'Tate' King Announced

Richard E. "Tate" King, 90

March 30, 1926 to June 29, 2016

Richard E. King (Tate), twelfth generation East Ender, died peacefully on June 29 at his home at the North Sea farm in Southampton, NY. At his time of death he was surrounded by the love of his children and caregiver Julie. Tate was 90 years old.

Tate was born on March 30, 1926 in Southampton, NY to Stanley and Julia Powers King. Tate spent his childhood years growing up in Amagansett before moving to the Dimon Farm on Flying Point Road in Southampton in 1931.

Tate attended Southampton Public Schools, graduating with the class of 1944. He was an all-around athlete but his main passion was baseball. His friends commented that he had the talent to be a major leaguer, but he couldn’t quite overcome being five feet two inches and a half tall.

He also loved to act, playing the lead role in his high school play “Behind the Eight Ball”. He said he played a wild kid; didn’t even have to act. He also acted in many holiday plays at the First Presbyterian Church.

Eleven days out of high school, Tate was drafted into WWII and was assigned to the First Cavalry in the Philippines and spent time in northern Japan at the war's end. He was discharged in 1949 at the rank of Staff Sergeant. At the war's end Tate returned to Southampton and worked with his father and brothers on the North Sea Farm, which his father Stanley purchased in 1945. He ran the farm upon his father’s death in 1957.

After the war, Tate and his high school ball players got back together and played on the championship softball team “The Anchors”.

During that period of his life, he met the love of his love of his life Millie, who was a nursing student at the Southampton Nursing School. In 1952 they were married and settled in the home at North Sea Farm in Southampton, NY. They raised their four children Richard, Karin, Kevin and Kathleen in the same home.

During his children’s formative years Tate worked the Dairy Farm as his wife Millie worked as a private duty nurse. He was one of the first “stay at home” dads working the farm all day and keeping an eye on his children as they played — at least that’s what he called it.

The farm also had 5,000 chickens at that time and Tate delivered fresh eggs to residential and commercial customers for many years.

Tate was active in the Southampton community serving as a North Sea fireman for 56 years. During his tenure in the fire department he served as treasurer, member of the Board of Directors and was a two-term Fire Commissioner.

In addition he was the Athletic Field Director, where he established the baseball fields on the North Sea community property. However, his proudest accomplishment was as Chairman of the North Sea Fire Department Scholarship Fund, an award made to a fire district high school graduate every year.

His family has many fond memories of his years as a fireman where many lifelong friendships were made.

Tate was also active in the First Presbyterian Church where he was an ordained deacon and a member of the Board of Trustees.

Tate was also very active in the Boy Scout community. He became the Committee Chairman of Troop 11 in Southampton in 1959, a position he held for over 25 years. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts enjoyed their camps on his farm for many years. He was awarded many District Scouter awards and also received one of the highest scout service awards, the “Silver Beaver” in 1976.

Tate was also a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He participated in many community outreach programs, always offering meals and assistance to those less fortunate. Tate always gave credit to the Rev. John Felmeth as one of the most significant inspirational people in his life. Rev. Felmeth’s first wedding at the First Presbyterian church was Tate and Millie’s in 1952.

Tate loved this country foremost, and always looked out for the needs of others. With his twinkling eyes and great smile he was always available for wise counsel. Tate helped many a person solve their problems just by listening, on his bench during his retirement years, or over carrying pails of milk during his farming years. In addition to being a wonderful father to his children he was a surrogate dad, mentor and friend to the hundreds of young people that worked at his farm over the past decades. He loved a good joke and maintained his wit right up until the end of his life.

He loved his family most, always proud of their accomplishments no matter how major or minor. He always commented that he was the richest man in Southampton because the love of his family could not be purchased. There was never a stranger at the King house.

Tate often said that the two most important moments in his life came in 1951, the year he met his wife Millie, and the “Shot heard round the world” when Bobby Thompson hit the game winning homer to win the National League pennant for the New York Giants. Oh, yes, lest we not forget the invention of ice cream, his favorite food group.

Tate was predeceased by his parents, the love of his life Millie, and his three brothers Stanley (Sam), Truman and Calvin.

Tate is survived by his sons Richard and wife Robin of Southampton, Kevin and wife Claudette of Yorktown, VA and daughters Karin Driscoll and husband Paul, of Bloomfield, NY and Kathleen and husband Zvi Friedman of Water Mill, NY.

Tate is also survived by eight grandchildren, Christina Fouser and her husband Mike of Rochester, NY, Brad King and his wife Nancy Sim of New York, NY, Julia King of Greenport, NY, Nate Driscoll and his fiancée Kay Cotton and Kara Miller and her husband John of Victor, NY, Clark King of Richmond, VA, Kyle King of Charlottesville, VA, Justin Friedman of New York, NY, one great grandchild, Harper Tate Miller, sister-in-law Margie King of Dalton, PA, nieces Caroline Tighe of West Haven, CT, Robin Hawthorne of Dalton, PA, Peggy Fezza of Water Mill, NY, nephews Tom King of Rockville Center, NY, Tim King of Audobon, PA, Sean King of Water Mill, NY, Tate King of Scranton, PA, sister-in-laws Cordelia Keegan of Stratford, CT, and Marge King of Dalton, PA along with their families and many close friends.

In lieu of flowers Tate supported the following charities:

North Sea Fire Department Scholarship Fund: 149 Noyac Road, Southampton, NY 11968
Boy Scouts of America: P.O. Box 722 Southampton, NY, 11969
The Food Pantry: Human Resources of the Hamptons, 168 Hill Street Southampton, NY 11968
First Presbyterian Church: 2 South Main Street, Southampton, NY 11968
Peconic Land Trust: P.O. Box 1776 Southampton, NY 11969

Brockett Funeral Home (www.brockettfuneralhome.com) is coordinating arrangements.

Visitation is scheduled at the funeral home on Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., with the funeral service on Thursday at the First Presbyterian Church in Southampton at 10 a.m.

The family invites all to attend a celebration reception after the service at the North Sea Fire House at 149 Noyac Road, Southampton, NY.