Obituary: H. Oyarma Tate Sr., 97, of Wallingford

WALLINGFORD, CT - (From North Haven Funeral Home) H. Oyarma Tate Sr., 97, passed to glory on Wednesday August 18, 2021 at his home in Wallingford, CT.

He was the husband of Alene Roberts Tate. They shared nearly 73 years of marriage. Oyarma was born to Moses and Luella Tate on September 2, 1923 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Oyarma was attending Dunbar Junior College when he was drafted into the armed services in 1941. Oyarma served in the 849th Aviation Battalion of the 10th Army Air Force. He served as a combat engineer for three and a half years in the China-Burma-India theater during WWII.

After his Honorable Discharge, Oyarma attended the University of Kansas for his under-graduate degree, the University of Missouri for his graduate degree and post-graduate studies at Southern Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford.

Music was his life both personally and professionally. Oyarma began playing as a church organist at age 14. While living in Kansas City, Kansas he was the organist at First A.M.E. Church and later Church of the Ascension.

After moving to Connecticut, Oyarma was organist and choirmaster at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church New Haven, Trinity Episcopal Church Branford and St. John’s Episcopal Church North Haven. He was a member of the American Guild of Organists.

Oyarma also taught music at every grade level from kindergarten through college including for the Kansas State University Cadet Teacher Program. In 1969 Oyarma moved his family to Connecticut and taught music at Hillhouse High School before becoming Supervisor of Music and later Supervisor of the Arts for the New Haven Public Schools.

During this time he also collaborated with Dr. Alexander Ringer, professor of musicology at the University of Illinois, and the internationally famous violinist Isaac Stern to select a group of ten talented teachers to travel to Hungary and learn the Kodaly Approach to Music.

This is a methodology that teaches children to develop their knowledge and sense of music without instruments.

It brought a revolution in American music instruction.

Among his other professional associations Oyarma was Secretary of the Connecticut Music Educators’ Association, President of the Connecticut Music Administrators Association, Secretary of the Episcopal Diocesan Music Commission, and served on the Boards of Directors of the New Haven Symphony, New Haven Opera Commission and the New Haven Chorale.

In addition to his wife, Oyarma is survived by his sons Oyarma Tate, Jr. of New Haven, Stanley L. Tate IV (Margaret) of Rochester, David Tate of Milford, daughter Cheryl Harrigan (Eustace) of West Haven, adopted daughter Iralene Swain of New York City, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son Kenneth Tate, brother Stanley Tate III and sister Zerita Tate.

The family will receive visitors at The Havens Family, North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Avenue, North Haven, on Friday, Aug. 27 from 4-7 p.m.

A funeral mass will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3 Trumbull Place, North Haven, on Saturday August 28 at 11 a.m. with full military honors and interment immediately following.

Memorial donations may be made to Gift Passion Purpose Project Inc. Its purpose is to nurture the musical gifts of aspiring singers and instrumentalists from underrepresented communities.