Ernest W. Tate

Ernest W. Tate, 79, a longtime resident of Newburyport MA, passed away peacefully on November 20, 2023 surrounded by his family. Ernest grew up in the Biddeford, Saco Maine area and moved to Massachusetts in 1962 to join the General Electric Apprentice Machinist and Toolmaker Program.

Ernest was a proud Manufacturing Quality Engineer for General Electric with 43 years of service mostly in the Marine Turbine and Gear department. He was a graduate of Thornton Academy in Saco, Maine and then completed the General Electric Apprentice Machinist/Toolmaker Program at the GE Technical School in Lynn MA. He earned his AS degrees from NECC and NSCC.

Ernest enjoyed his work designing tools and providing methods for the manufacture of steam turbines and main reduction gear propulsion elements for both commercial and US Navy ships and submarines. He traveled frequently to work with joint manufacturers and suppliers to ensure that product quality met stringent Government Military specifications. A 1983 trip to El Ferrol Spain to direct the precision repair of the Spanish Aircraft Carrier’s fourteen-foot diameter main drive gear was an extremely rewarding and memorable experience. During this trip, solo Ernest was able to bridge the language barrier with twelve Spanish executives to help create a solution to mitigate and repair their corroded GE gear. 

Prior to going into management Ernest was a Methods Planner, an active International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) union executive board member and a union contract negotiator both at the local level and National CBC.

Ernest was an avid golfer in his younger years having lived adjacent to the Biddeford & Saco Country Club (B&SCC). In the late 1950’s, young Ernest caddied for Bette Davis and Gary Merril as they were summering at a nearby private beach in Prouts Neck coming to B&SCC for lessons with respected local pro Alex Chisholm. Ernest assisted Alex with lessons and ran the Pro Shop for several years. A member of both B&SCC and Amesbury CC, Ernie enjoyed a single digit handicap and multiple amateur and Pro-am tournament events. His favorite times were golfing for quarters with Uncle Richard, a two handicapper, and cousins Mark and Paul, formidable competitive McCallums.

He enjoyed working on cars, modifying his first car, a ‘57 Plymouth Fury by retrofitting it with a Chrysler New Yorker engine and DeSoto transmission. After the rebuild, he drag-raced competitively at the Sanford Dragway in the mid 1960’s while maintaining the car as street legal.

In his later years Ernest treasured traveling to Southern California with his loving wife, Sandra, and playing golf on championship courses. Ernie’s other pastimes included walking along the Merrimack River, gardening, swimming, bicycle riding, and building projects. Known as “High-Hand Ernie” to the locals, Ernest especially enjoyed playing poker locally and in California when on vacation.

Ernest was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Traveling with Sandra to California, America's Canyonlands, Las Vegas, California Europe, Costa Rica, Panama Canal and South America, Machu Picchu in Peru, Lake Titicaca, and Bolivia was both exciting and very pleasurable. Ernest also enjoyed his grandchildren and their endeavors with horseback riding, baseball, basketball, football, bowling, and track. He was a direct descendent from the Tate Family of Portland, Maine where the Tate’s were Mast Agents who were responsible for marking and removing the tall white pines for the British Navy. The 1755 Tate House has the distinction of being a National Historic Landmark and is the only pre-Revolutionary home in greater Portland open to the public.

He leaves his wife, Sandra, of 54 years, son Walter and his wife Tamara, son Jason and his wife Deana and grandchildren Addison, Samuel, Abigail, Ethan, and Adrien.

Family and friends may call from 4:00 to 7:00 PM on Friday November 24, 2023 at the Twomey, LeBlanc, & Conte Funeral Home 193 High St. Newburyport, MA 01950. Services and burial will  be private and will take place in the family lot in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco, ME.

For directions or to offer online condolences please visit www.tlcfuneralhome.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ernest W. Tate, please visit our floral store.