Thomas R. Patete, 71, longtime Executive Director of Great Commission Publications (GCP), went to be with the Lord on December 14, 2012. Patete, an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church of America, served Christ’s church in a number of pastorates and through his position at GCP for 34 years.

Tom Patete was six years older than I. That does not make much difference at 71 and 65, but it makes a world of difference when one is 18 and the other 12.

Tommy, as he was known in the those days at McIlwain Church Presbyterian Church in Pensacola, Fla., was one of the “older guys” to my generation of youth. He was one of the “Pensacola boys” who entered the ministry out of Dr. Donald B. Patterson’s pastorate at McIlwain. Those include to my present memory, in addition to Tom, Charles Gwin, Wyatt George, Tom Weaver, Joey Pipa, John Reeves, Hank Griffith, Dale Smith, Steve Parker, Mack Griffith, and this writer.

Tom came from a “mixed” Christian home; his father a practicing Roman Catholic and his mother a faithful Presbyterian and stalwart member of the church. I always thought of him as one of the “older guys” not just in years but in maturity.

The descriptive adjectives that come when I think of Tom are responsible, measured, strong, stable, thoughtful. He was a man of even temperament and few words, which served him and the church well, especially during his long tenure as Executive Director of Great Commission Publications. My dad, a ruling elder who served on the GCP Board of Directors, held Tom in highest regard.

Tom was and is to me an example of what it means to be a Christian gentleman, a good and faithful servant of his Lord, whose reward in the coming kingdom is sure to be great.

Bill Smith is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church of America. He is a writer and contributor to a number of Reformed journals and resides in Jackson, MS. He has served as a write for Great Commission Publications for many years.

Read more about Tom Patete’s life and ministry here.