Slater, Frederick C.

Frederick Charles Slater, 99, of Granby, CT, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, surrounded by family. He was born on October 2, 1924 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was first adopted by Leon C. Brown and Elizabeth Brown and then later adopted by Burton Slater and Lillian (Lidu) Slater. Fred served in the US Army Air Corps (USAAF) during WWII as a B-17 ball turret gunner. He joined in 1943 and in 1944 he was shot down over Germany and spent 10 months in three POW camps. After his discharge, he married “the girl next door” and love of his life on June 22, 1946 and spent 77 wonderful years with Alma B. Slater. Together they raised three children in Hartford, CT, and then settled in Granby, CT in 1960. Fred worked at Royal Typewriter and Peter L. Brown Aluminum Siding before starting his own business at Master Craft Siding Co. He retired in 1989. Fred was a devoted husband and father, a hard worker and reliable man who could fix anything yet remained humble, never taking credit for his achievements. He was an avid drummer, loved listening to 40s music, golfing, and spending time with his “bride” and family. In 2011, when Fred was 87, his birth family was finally located. He was born Harold Wood and is predeceased by his parents, Alfred V. Wood Jr. and Elvera (Torras) Wood, of Brunswick, Georgia. On Thanksgiving, 2011, the family celebrated a grand reunion in Georgia with his two biological sisters, Beverly and Barbara, and many relatives. Upon his return home to Granby, he said, “I feel complete now”. Fred's adoring wife Alma passed away only seven weeks before him; he did not want to be apart from her and joined her on Valentine's Day. Fred was also predeceased by his son, Donald J. Slater, and his sister, Barbara (Wood) Whitlock. He will be greatly missed by his devoted children, Robert Slater and wife Barbara, of Somers, CT, Christina (Slater) Kevorkian and husband Gary, of Simsbury, CT, his sister, Beverly (Wood) Bittinger, of St. Simons Island, GA, seven grandchildren, several great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He will be remembered for his kind and gentle nature, his deep blue eyes, his love of music and drumming, and the way he would dance in the kitchen with his “bride” any chance he could. Our family gives special thanks to his caregiver, MJ, who filled Fred and Alma's last years with love and careful attention. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, March 21, 2024, 10:00 AM at St. Therese Parish, 120 W Granby Rd, Granby, CT 06035. A burial will follow at Granby Cemetery, 6 N Granby Rd, Granby, CT 06035, for both Frederick and Alma Slater. Military Honors for Frederick Slater will be held at the cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Granby Ambulance Association, 1 Pegville Rd, Granby, CT 06035. For directions and condolences please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com