William Leonard (Coach) Pate, Jr

William Leonard (Coach) Pate, Jr.

July 31, 1933 – December 24, 2021

Bill Pate passed away peacefully at Atrium Health Hospital, Pineville, NC after a brief illness.

Family and friends are invited to visit with the family on Wednesday, December 29th, 2021 from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm at the Fellowship Hall at Bowling Green Presbyterian Church in Clover, SC. The funeral service will be at 2:00 pm in the church sanctuary officiated by the Reverend Doctor Martin Stokes. Burial will be private at the church cemetery.

Bill is survived by his wife of 60 years, Carolyn Withers Pate, his son, William L. Pate, III (Selina) of Belmont, NC and his daughter Karen Pate Bryant (Robby) of Clayton, NC; his grandchildren, Kelsey Pate Povse (Max) of Raleigh, NC, Hannah Lenore Pate of Raleigh, NC, and William Robert Bryant of Charlotte, NC; his niece, Barbara Copeland Suddeth of Columbia, SC; his sister-in-law, Beth McDonald Landfair (Bill) and sister-in-law, Susan Withers Jackson and her husband Edward Bailey Jackson who was a special confidant and provided countless assistance to Bill.  He was the son of the late William Leonard Pate, Sr. and Octavia Privette Pate and the brother of the late Jeanette Pate Copeland and her husband James Frank Copeland, Jr.

Coach Pate was born July 31, 1933 in Florence, SC. He was a graduate of Lamar High School, Class of 1952 and Clemson University, Class of 1956, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Education. After a brief stint in the United States Army, he began his coaching career which spanned almost 40 years. He served as Athletic Director, football and baseball coach at Timmonsville, Lake View and York High Schools. He also served as a Graduate Assistant in football and baseball at Clemson University. His football teams won over 200 games including 4 State Championships and 12 Conference Titles. He won the Football State Coach of the Year Award 6 times and was inducted into the SCACA hall of Fame in 1996 as well as the South Carolina Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2016. Coach Pate was Head Coach in the 1978 North South All Star game and served as an Assistant Coach in the 1982 Shrine Bowl game. He won 3 State Championships in High School and American Legion Baseball. His 1968 American Legion team won the Southeastern Championship and finished 3rd in the American Legion World Series. After retiring, he coached football, basketball and baseball at Hudgens Academy in Lynchburg, SC.

 Even with all the athletic accomplishments, he was most proud of his wife, children, their spouses and his 3 grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial may be made to York County Fellowship of Christian Athletes , C/O Randy Mellichamp,  PO Box 423, Rock Hill, SC 29731 or Pee Dee Fellowship of Christian Athletes, C/O John Griggs, PO Box 292, Kingstree, SC 29556.

Online condolences may be made to the family at www.brattonfuneralhome.com

Bratton Funeral Home in York, SC is serving the Pate Family.

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