Horace “Hoss” Slate known to everyone as Poppy was born at home in Cross Cut, Texas on January 9, 1941 to L.M. & Faye Slate. He went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Sunday, June 24, 2018 under the care of Hospice of Midland.He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Stacey & Patrick Orem of Midland and their five children; daughter and son-in-law, Jeannie & Fritz Beierle of Washington State and their three children; son and daughter-in-law, Mackey and Melissa Slate of Midland and their three children; son and daughter-in-law, Chuck & Glenda Slate of Midland and their three children; son, Stephen Slate of Midland and his three children. Poppy also has 18 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.He is preceded in death by his father and mother, L.M. and Faye Slate of Brownwood, Texas; wife, Linda Sharp Slate of McCamey, Texas; father-in-law, O.R. “Dude” Sharp of Midland, Texas; sister and brother-in-law, Margie and Mike Miller of Brownwood, Texas; nephew, Michael Miller, Jr. of Brownwood, Texas; granddaughter, Kandyce Michelle Nettles of Breckenridge, Texas.Poppy attended Midland High School until his senior year when he was called to active duty with the United States Marine Corp where he served as an M.P. in the Korean War. He married the love of his life, Linda Sharp, in March of 1964 and they had four children: Stacey, Mackey, Chuck and Stephen and then in 1981 they adopted their fifth child, Jeannie. While raising his children, Poppy worked for Dunigan Tool and Supply Company later known as Sun Oil in Odessa, Texas and was later transferred to Breckenridge, Texas in 1978. After retiring from Sun Oil, he and wife, Linda, moved to McCamey to own and manage Benoit’s Restaurant until Linda’s stroke in 1986 and at that point they relocated back to Midland for her rehabilitation. He coached his boys in little league baseball during the early 80’s in Breckenridge and then went on to coach his grandsons, Tyler, Chris, and Jeremy alongside his son-in-law, Patrick Orem in Midland in the mid to late 90’s. After his great-grandson, Darius was born, he helped Patrick and Tyler coach him in the early 2000’s. He loved sports so much that he continued with softball and helped Stacey and Patrick coach his granddaughter, Kourtnie.Poppy was an avid bowler, bowling in Odessa at Busby’s known now as Diamond Lanes. He continued bowling at Cactus Lanes in Midland with his family until his stroke in 2010.He was a member of Citizens on Patrol in Midland, working alongside his best friend, the late Corp Officer David Glenn and was a member of the VFW Post at Thunderbird Bay in Brownwood, Texas.Poppy was a big fan of Midland High football, not only did he attend all home games but traveled to various visiting and playoff games until his health declined and he was no longer able to attend.The family will receive guests from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 27, 2018 at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home in Midland. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, June 28, 2018 at First Baptist Church Chapel. Interment will follow at Crane Memorial Gardens in Crane, Texas.Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences can be made at www.npwelch.com.,
