Elsie (Hale) Tate

1926 - 2017

Elsie (Hale) Tate passed away peacefully, with her daughter at her side, at home on March 31 following a short illness.

Elsie was born in Texas to David and Ella Hale and moved to Oklahoma as a young girl. She graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State University with a degree in business. It was there that she met and married her husband George Tate. With their three children, they moved to California in 1967.

After George’s death in 1975, Elsie - who had been a substitute teacher when her children were young - went to work for the Vallejo Sanitation and Flood Control District. Hired as a Bookkeeper, she retired 13 years later as the Office Manager.

She was a member of First United Methodist Church for nearly five decades. She was active in United Methodist Women, the Philesians and enjoyed working as a volunteer in the church thrift shop, the Uptown Closet. She was also an Area Agency on Aging board member for many years.

Following her retirement in 1989, Elsie became an avid traveler. She enjoyed many trips around the world, including walking on the Great Wall of China, kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland, traversing the Panama Canal and sailing the Amazon River in South America.

She set aside her wanderlust in 1996 with the birth of her granddaughter; a grandson followed in 2001. They brought her great joy and she loved nothing more than being with them. They spent many afternoons gardening, playing board games, doing puzzles, and taking strolls around the neighborhood. She also enjoyed picking them up from school and taking them to their many activities.

She was preceded in death by her husband, George; her daughter and son-in-law, Kathryn and Dan Sommers; her son, Maurice; and seven brothers and sisters.

She is survived by her daughter, Lisa (Mike) Lerseth; granddaughter, Kathryn Lerseth; grandson, Nicholas Lerseth; her brother, Jack (Barbara) Hale of Colorado and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank Mike and the loving caregivers from Assist On Call, especially Vicky and Evelyn, who helped “Mommy Elsie” stay in her own home until her death. She was blessed with many wonderful neighbors, especially Richard and Ann Flood, who looked out for her and helped her in so many ways as she aged.

A memorial service, officiated by Pastor Sandra Sanders-West, will be held Monday, April 17, at 11 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, 502 Virginia St.

Inurnment at Skyview Memorial Lawn in Vallejo will be private.