He devoted his life to the Fairview Cemetery and the Staunton community, but now people are now saying goodbye to 87-year-old Oliver Tate.

Tate died Thursday after a three-year battle with Mesothelioma.

Tate devoted his time to the cemetery that has been in the process of documenting who is buried there, since many graves had no headstones for identification.

He kept the cemetery neat and helped to locate tombstones for family members seeking their lost relatives.

Carl Tate, Tate's grandson, says, "We will make sure we carry on his legacy. All of his children, all of his grand-children and his great-grand children."

Tate will be buried at Fairview Cemetery. A memorial service will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Augusta Street United Methodist Church.