Dutch physician and Freemason Grand Master.
He was born as the eldest son of the banker and fertilizer merchant Laurens ten Cate (31 May 1859, Gronau – 12 November 1932, Lochem) and Cornelia Gerhardina “Marianne” Sanders (18 June 1857, Leeuwen in Wamel -14 March 1931, Lochem), who married 16 October 1891 in Lochem.
He studied medicine and was from ca. 1920 till 1950 a general practitioner in Bolsward. After that he went to Amsterdam and became a medical advisor of the Sociale Verzekeringsbank, a public insurance company that delivers income to sick employees.
On 9 May 1921 he married Ernestine Frederika Beekhuis (10 April 1900, Bolsward – 15 December 1992, Bilthoven) in Bolsward. They got two sons: Laurens Othmar ten Cate (30 August 1922, Bolsward – 7 April 1984, Scharsterland) and Henricus Willem ten Cate (31 August 1924, Bolsward – 22 March 1987, Weesp). His son Laurens ten Cate became an influential local Journalist in Friesland and New Left Labor politician. He had eight grandchildren. His grandson Marius ten Cate (b. 1 Octobre 1950, Den Haag) died 15 January 1980 unexpectedly in Rottevalle.
During WW2 he had to hide for the Germans, as Freemasonry was forbidden. After the war he became the Grand Master of the Dutch Freemason lodges. According to Koppejan he was also active in the Dutch reformed church.
He died 29 December 1983 in Amsterdam.