Rita Slater

Rita Slater was a devoted wife, mother, and friend. She dedicated her life to helping others and she taught her children to do the same. Rita always focused on the many blessings in her life and each day she found a new reason to smile and laugh. She was a true optimist and she always shared her happiness with the many people she loved.

With the end of the Great War, thousands of young soldiers returned to their civilian lives back home. The economy soared amid the new demands of a peacetime nation, and industry expanded rapidly. This was a time of good fortune and prosperity. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Setrog Kurkjian and his wife Helen Gissler discovered a more personal reason to celebrate. They were expecting a child, and on June 9, 1920 they were blessed with the healthy birth of their daughter Rita.

The second of five children, Rita grew up in Grand Rapids with the company of her brothers George, Leo, and Gregory and her sister Margaret. Rita was born of German and Armenian descent, and her parents were proud of their heritage. The family lived in the house on Turner NW, across from St. Mary's Church where they were faithful members. Like many families of the day, Rita's father worked in a factory while her mother stayed at home to tend to the chores and raise the children. Rita attended St. Mary's Elementary School before enrolling at Catholic Central High School. Because she was scheduled to graduate at the young age of seventeen, Catholic Central refused to give her a diploma. She ended up repeating her senior year at Union High School, though she ultimately received diplomas from both schools.

In her free time, Rita enjoyed hanging out with her friends. They often went roller-skate dancing. At the rink one day, she met a hopeless roller-skater named William Slater. As Rita used to say, "I would dance while Bill swept the floor with the seat of his pants." They easily fell into a conversation, and they soon began dating. On August 9, 1941, they were married at St. Mary's Catholic Church. For their honeymoon, they traveled to Niagara Falls.

A couple of years into their marriage, Rita and Bill were blessed with two wonderful children. William Slater Jr. was born in 1945, followed by Catherine in 1947. While Bill provided for the family through his job as a tool and die maker, Rita devoted herself to her family. She was a dedicated mother who enjoyed the active role that she played in her children's lives. She was involved in the PTA, and she always supported her kids. Rita was more of a disciplinarian than Bill. Even though she spoke with a quiet tone, her children always understood what was expected of them and a simple look in her eyes spoke volumes!

Rita was a proud mother and homemaker. She was an excellent cook who specialized in just about everything. She knew how to stretch a dollar, which is the main reason that she loved to make casseroles. She and Bill established many valuable traditions for their children. On Sundays, they usually visited the grandparents. The entire family, including siblings, nieces, and nephews, would gather together for storytelling, laughter, and of course food. In the summertime, the family would rent a cottage on the Grand Haven beach. For one or two weeks, the extended family would stay together to enjoy the beach and the good weather.

When the children were in school, Rita began working for Wurzburg 's Department Store as a Farberware buyer and demonstrater. Both Rita and Bill enjoyed golfing, bowling, and playing cards, especially bridge. They belonged to the Lincoln Country Club and Grand Rapids Country Club (now the Elks Country Club) where they formed many close friendships. In addition, she was an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary Troop 258 where she served as President.

In 1969, Rita and Bill moved to Holiday, Florida where Rita worked for Shipman's Hardware as a buyer. She retired from Davis Hardware in 1981. Rita and Bill loved their life in Florida. They lived in the same area her parents had moved to years before. After Bill passed away, Rita became more independent. She volunteered for the Share Program and continued to work for Government Elections.

Although Rita enjoyed spending time with her children, she always respected their privacy. She and her daughter went on many vacations together to destinations including Europe and the Western Caribbean. She was thrilled to see her family grow with the blessing of grandchildren and then great grandchildren and she enjoyed all the time that she spent with them.

At the age of eighty, Rita was the victim of a car accident. Her recovery caused her and her family to realize her actual age. Although she still lived very comfortably, she had to navigate around new physical obstacles. This past Easter, she visited her son on the east side of Florida. She suffered some health problems, and she realized that she would not make a full recovery. True to her nature, she prepared for her own death to avoid placing this hardship on her children.

Rita was a vibrant woman with a great sense of humor. Even toward the end, she was always smiling and laughing. She was a strong woman, mentally and physically. Her strength, generosity, and compassion earned her a place in the hearts of everyone who knew her. Among the many people who loved her, Rita will be greatly missed and frequently remembered.

Rita died on June 8, 2006. She was preceded in death by her husband, William Slater Sr. She is survived by her son, William Slater Jr. and wife, Marla (Neithefer), of Palm Beach Gardens, FL; daughter, Catherine Pihl of Charlotte, NC; grandchildren, William Slater III and Tracy Slater of Palm Beach, FL; Scott Bilski and wife, Lisa of Charlotte, NC; Corinna Luther, Wendy Hill, Abby Harkins and husband, Sean, of Nashville, TN; Gordon Pihl and wife, Virginia, of Rockingham, NC; The joys of her life were her great-grandchildren Zachary Scott Bilski, Casey Smith, Shelby Luther, Carly Hill, Gordon Pihl, Kesslyn Pihl, and Kameron Pervis. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 AM on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Interment in Resurrection Cemetery. Relatives and friends are invited to meet with her family at the Heritage Life Story Funeral Home - Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel on Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM where the Rosary will be recited at 7 PM. In lieu of flowers the family has requested contributions be made to the American Diabetes Association or the American Heart Association. Please visit Rita's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you can archive a favorite memory or sign the guestbook.