Lou Tate was a man I won't soon forget
He had a wry smile and a sarcastic wit
If you told him one joke, he'd tell you two
Then he'd tell one more ripper before he was through

No one who knew him knew quite the same man
You might say that Lou didn't follow a plan
He knew how to have fun for most any reason
Then climb into the houseboat no matter the season

At work those who knew him would say without doubt
That getting things done was what Lou was about
When it seemed that a problem just couldn't be solved
It was precisely when Lou became hyper involved

Though most solutions were unorthodox
The bulk of his thinking was outside the box
Although his ideas weren't always well known
His name's on the first patented multi-line phone

Lou was once quite the loner...not easy to catch
But he knew that in Mary Ann he'd met his match
Then he suffered a stroke and it gave him a scare
It was then that he recognized how much she cared

When they both said "I do" with or without wealth
Till death they united in sickness and health
Their unbreakable bond would make others see
What steadfast devotion to one's spouse should be.