This page is dedicated to a wonderful husband, father and grandfather who was loved dearly by everyone in the family. Grandpa passed away on July 30, 2010. What’s written below was read at his funeral as a tribute by all the grandkids who loved him dearly.

August 9, 2010

Today is a very hard day today as I know it is for everyone here who came to say goodbye to a man most knew and called Don Slagle. To one very special person here today he was also known as a best friend and a husband. Standing here I know it must be hard for her to say goodbye after 68 years of a wonderful and beautiful marriage. I can only hope that my marriage will be as long and as wonderful as it was for the both of you. We love you Grandma!
This man called Don by most was also called “Dad” by his three daughters Donna, Nancy and Martha. Growing up I got to hear some of the wonderful and special things all three of his girls got to share with the man they called dad.

In late December of 1970 Nancy, Don’s middle daughter gave her dad his first grandson. “Me” or Ron for those of you who know me. In 1973 Nancy gave birth to the second grandson Brian, my brother.

In 1974 Don’s oldest daughter Donna and her husband John adopted Tony bringing the number of grandkids up to three. In 1977 Donna brought the first grand daughter, Tammy into the world, followed by Teresa in October of 1979.

Martha, Don’s youngest daughter brought two more grand daughters into the family when she had Stephanie in October of 1983 and Debra in May of 1987. This brought the number of grandkids up to seven.

Over the years Don Slagle got to watch all seven of his grandkids grow up from small dirty diaper producing machines, as I’m sure we all were. To watching us grow up and playing as kids and being so loud I have no doubt that at times he turned down his hearing aid just to cut the noise down. To watching us as young adults graduating from High School to even seeing one of his grandkids march in the Rose Parade on national television.

He got to be there as all seven of his grandchildren who grew up into the men and women you see before you find soul mates of there own and begin there own families. With these new families would also mean great grandkids and over the years……….
Kayla, Samuel, Kyle, Dylan, Clara, Kaylie, Trenton and Lilly have all come into the family as great grandkids enriching everyone’s lives.

For all of us grandkids and great grandkids standing before you today, this man was not known to us as Don Slagle or even Don, he was just simply known as Grandpa! Even though grandpa is no longer with us physically and we will never again get to know the pleasure of hugging him or tasting his home made ice cream that we all loved so much. We will miss his presence by the empty space he leaves, but no matter how you felt by his leaving we will always have his love and memories to sustain us. Those memories will be different for each one of us here today, but memories none the less.

Memories we can all treasure and remember so we may be so lucky to pass that same love and spirit he gave us on to our own grandchildren when we might be called Grandma or Grandpa.

I could go on forever as I’m sure each and everyone of us up here could about our memories of grandpa. So as a final gesture to the husband, father and grandfather we all cared about I want to read a little something I found on line. As not only my way of saying goodbye, but as a way all of us grandkids from the oldest to the youngest could stand here today one last time and show our Love and affection for the one we called grandpa.

In Loving Memory 1921 – 2010

Grandpa

Today we are all feeling a little bit sad,
That we’ve lost our Grandpa and our friend
Together we cried an ocean of tears
As we feel so empty and hold many fears.

Grandpa would want us to know he’s in a good place
And that he’s watching us all with a smile on his face
As we made him so proud, as proud as can be
That he has raised such a beautiful and special family

I feel lucky and privileged to have known Grandpa to this day
For in my life, you have played a special part
The memories I treasure and keep close to my heart

For all of us we should be grateful, his life is now complete
To each one of us he has loved and cared
And a family, be thankful for the good times we shared

Although he has gone we will always be together
And his spirit will live on in each one of us forever
When you look to the sky, look for the brightest star
As that will be grandpa looking down on us from afar

And now I would like to thank God above
For blessing us with our Grandpa with kindness and love
Dear God, if it is not too much fuss
Take extra special care of our grandpa as he is very dear to us.

Grandpa if you are listening
Be sure to protect us and guide us on our way
We know when God called you, you had to go
But we want you to know Grandpa we miss you and love you so.

Taken on a ship near the end of WWII / August 27, 1945