SLADE, Wilfrieda (Fifi) Westby Donaghy

Wilfrieda (Fifi) Westby Donaghy Slade died of natural causes on January 20, 2023, surrounded by her children at home in Sandy Springs, GA. She was born June 8, 1928 in New Bedford, MA to James King Donaghy and Wilfrieda Westby. Fifi graduated from St. Vincent Hospital School of Nursing in NYC. She proudly served as an Army Nurse from 1951-1956, including a tour in Heidelberg, Germany, and in Hawaii where she nursed soldiers injured during the Korean War. Clem Trippe (Trippe) Slade and Fifi married April 7, 1956, and were happily married (54 yrs) until his 2009 passing. She is survived by their children: Claudia Madigan (Scott), Mary Trippe Everett (Jim), Westby Slade (Patti Westermann), Collier Slade (Teka Drehmer), ten grandchildren, and ten and a half greatgrandchildren.

Fifi leaves a tangible legacy through her volunteer work as a founding member of St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church and St. Andrew Catholic Church. She set an enduring example of Catholic faith in action and how to age with dignity through a genuine love of others and thirst for knowledge. She was a lifelong learner with an insatiable appetite for reading; was an avid sports fan, enjoying the Atlanta Braves and other sports telecasts; and a fierce competitor both on the tennis court at Cherokee Town & Country Club and when cheering on her family during sports competitions.

Fifi’s signature look (and voice) - her striking gray hair neatly tucked under a hair clip, black/white/red attire, armful of silver jewelry, and the elegant way she carried herself, turned heads, but she was most known for being a loving wife, mother, friend, confidante, and passionate “life cheerleader” for family and friends.

Full of life and laughter, Fifi was entertaining friends and family at the family home of 59 years until her final days. Fifi’s passing has left a hole in our hearts but we are confident that a heavenly celebration is going strong!

Funeral Mass at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church, February 7, 2023, 10 AM, followed by interment with military honors at Arlington Memorial Park, 201 Mt Vernon Hwy. NW, Sandy Springs, GA 30328. Reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to: Chattahoochee Nature Center, Attn: K. Felty, Development, PO Box 769769, Roswell, GA 30076, 770-992-2055.