MONTEREY, Calif.-Melvin Lewis Ataide, 64, co-founder of Ataide General Tire Co., died of heart disease June 4 in Monterey Peninsula Community Hospital, Monterey. Mr. Ataide worked as a sales manager for General Tire before he founded Ataide General, a Monterey-based retail/wholesale dealership, in 1954, according to his son, Craig, who now owns the business.
Other survivors include his wife, Donna, and three grandchildren.
Gary Boyer
LITTLETON, Colo.-Gary Eugene Boyer, who spent most of his career in the tire business before opening a Denver-area retail dealership, died June 17 of cancer in Swedish Medical Center, Littleton. He was 56.
Mr. Boyer had worked as a sales representative and manager for Goodyear before serving stints at Mountain States Tire Corp. in Denver and Centennial State Tire in Colorado Springs.
In 1987 he opened Boyer Tire & Service Co., a single-location retail dealership in Castle Rock, Colo. He was active in the Mountain States Tire Association, serving for a time on its board.
He is survived by three sons, who now operate the business: Robert, president; Richard, vice president; and Jarrod. Other survivors include seven daughters and eight grandchildren.
Edwin Butterfield
BOISE, Idaho-Edwin Roy Butterfield, manager at an Idaho dealership, died June 14 in a Boise hospital. He was 63.
Mr. Butterfield had been manager of the Roy & Owen's Tire Ser-vice Inc. outlet in Weiser, Idaho, for the past six years, but his career in the tire industry began when he went to work for Dickman-Marshall Tire Co. in Pocatello, Idaho, following his service in the Korean War.
In the late 1960s, Mr. Butterfield went to work for Hill's B.F. Goodrich in Boise. In 1974 he moved to Payette, Idaho, and began a 17-year career with May Trucking, the job he held before joining Roy & Owen's.
Survivors include his wife, Bonnie, two sons, one daughter and four grandchildren.
Louis DelGrande
FRESNO, Calif.-Louis DelGrande, co-owner of a Fresno Bandag Inc. franchise, died of an apparent heart attack April 22 in his Fresno apartment. He was 46.
Mr. DelGrande, president of Delray Tire & Retreading Inc., had been in the tire business for the past 28 years. During the 1970s he owned and operated Complete Tire Service in the Los Angeles area, according to his partner, Ralph Mastriano, with whom he started Delray Tire in April 1993.
Prior to launching the Fresno franchise, Mr. DelGrande had worked at Johnny Gillete and Parkhouse Tire Service Inc.
Survivors include his wife, Peggy, three sons and one daughter.
Gordon Pope
PLANT CITY, Fla.-Gordon H. Pope, a Myers Tire Supply salesman, died of an illness May 5 at his home in Plant City. He was 33.
Mr. Pope had joined Myers in May 1992, working out of the company's Tampa, Fla., office, a Myers spokeswoman said.
Survivors include his son, Ryan, his parents and four siblings.
Chester Wade Sr.
LAKELAND, Fla.-Chester Floyd Wade Sr., co-founder of a Lakeland tire dealership, died June 8 of leukemia at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. He was 74.
Mr. Wade had worked at a number of Florida tire dealerships, including Olin Mott Tire Co., before co-founding Day and Night Tire Co. in Lakeland as a retail/commercial/wholesale dealership, according to his son, Steve Wade, current owner of the business, which is now solely a retreading operation.
Steve said he purchased the business from his father about 12 years ago and that his son, Matthew, also works there.
Other survivors include Mr. Wade's wife, Betty; two other sons; one daughter; 14 other grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
William Wilder
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-William Robert Wilder, 96, former owner of a General Tire dealership in Pennsylvania, died of natural causes June 12 at home.
Mr. Wilder was born in Carlisle, Pa., and moved to Chambersburg, where he owned and operated General Tire & Distributors.
Survivors include three nephews.