Celebrate your loved one’s life in a way that’s as independent as they were – in the Daily Independent and on YourValley.net. Share fond memories, photos and information on celebrations of life using our easy, step-by-step process.
Donald C. Slater, Jr.
Donald Slater, Jr.
Posted
On Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019, Donald Coulter Slater, Jr. passed away suddenly at his home in Fountain Hills at the age of 93.
Don was born on July 13, 1926 in Palo Alto, Calif. to Donald and Mary (Hood) Slater. His younger brother, Thomas Clarence Slater, was born the following year on Aug. 28, 1927. He and his brother were raised in Monrovia, Calif. where they went to school. During high school, he played football as well as baseball and was president of the Boys Athletic Association.
He served his country in the United States Army Air Corps beginning in 1944, during World War II. After leaving the armed forces, he lived in Mexico City for a year before attending college. He later received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of California Los Angeles in 1955.
On Sept. 2, 1955, he married Almeda Maxine Lewis in Los Angeles, Calif. Together they would raise their children, Douglas Howard Slater (born April 2, 1956), Robin Hood Slater (born March 27, 1957), and Cynthia Marie Slater (April 2, 1959). His fourth child, Jessie Kathleen Moore (born November 27, 1950) he adopted as his own.
In the summer of 1966, Don moved the family to Salinas, Calif. where he would work as an accountant in the Salinas Unified School district, eventually becoming budget director of the Carmel Unified School District. He would remain in Salinas, until the passing of his wife on April 20, 1994.
In the fall of 1996, he moved with his grandson, Donald, to Scottsdale, Ariz. where he would raise him as his own. He had a passion for education, all sports – but particularly golf and football – the stories of others’, and the occasional game of chance. He was an avid fan of horse racing, an interest he developed by spending many hours at the Santa Anita horse track in his early twenties. He regularly played his brother’s birth date in his Powerball numbers.
Don was not defined solely by his occupation, for he held several over nearly a century of work. Rather, he was known for his unwavering commitment to his children and adherences to what have become family principles.
His honesty, humility, dependability, consideration, and his enduring independence were admired by many.
He is survived by his brother, four children, seven grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.
