Loena T. Slaughter, 95, died peacefully on Aug. 29 at Safe Havens in St. Andrews Village, Boothbay Harbor.
She was born March 25, 1913 in Portsmouth, Ohio, a daughter of David and Ora Garvin Tipton. “Lo” was 15 when her father died, and she helped her mother run the family grocery store during the depression years. She married James Slaughter in 1931, and they continued to work with her mother until 1941, when they and their daughter relocated to Kalamazoo, Mich. Two sons were born there, in 1943 and 1947, and Lo was happy to be a “stay at home” mom while her three children were growing up.
She and her husband also lived in New Canaan, Conn., Palo Alto, Cal., and Hinsdale, Ill. before retiring to Longboat Key, Fla. in 1969. She took a part-time job as a clerk in a Lily Pulitzer store in a resort community nearby, and showed such talent for sales and management that she was named manager within a year. She had a 10 year career in that position.
She was active in the Longboat Key Garden Club as Youth Scholarship Chairperson for 15 years. She and her husband traveled in their later years to Great Britain, Mexico, Hawaii, and other islands – a youthful dream finally fulfilled. She became an accomplished painter at age 70.
Loena was predeceased by her husband Jim, and a granddaughter, Lauren Tipton Slaughter.
She is survived by daughter Jackie Mundy and husband Pete of West Boothbay Harbor; sons, James Slaughter, Jr. of Houston, Tex., and Stephen Slaughter of San Luis Obispo, Cal.; grandson, Peter P. Mundy and wife Ellen of Natick, Mass.; granddaughter, Meg Cowe of Weston, Mass.; six great grandchildren, and two great-great grandsons.
Celebration of Lo’s life 11 a.m., Sat., Sept. 6 at the Boothbay Harbor Congregational Church with the Rev. Dr. Sarah Foulger officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Andrews Hospital/Safe Havens, P.O. Box 417, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04575.
Arrangements are entrusted to Simmons, Harrington & Hall Funeral Home, 975 Wiscasset Rd., Boothbay.
