Dr. Thomas C. Slattery (1935-2020)

SLATTERY, DURR

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 11/5/2020 at 20:26:44

Memorial
Dr. Thomas Carl Slattery, 85, passed away November 2, 2020 at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy. A visitation will be held from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm Saturday, November 14, 2020 at Cedar Memorial Funeral Home. As mandated by proclamation, social distancing must be practiced which requires a limited number of people to be allowed into the visitation at one time. The use of facemasks or shields are required. A private family burial service will take place at Cherry Mound Cemetery in Allamakee County, Iowa.

Tom was born on July 31, 1935 in Lacrosse WI the son of Larry and Esther Slattery. He grew up in Waterville, Iowa and graduated from Waterville High School in 1953. He earned a music scholarship at the Rochester School of Music in New York. After graduating in 1958 he was then drafted into the US Army (1959-1961) and was a member of the 7th Army Symphony Orchestra stationed in Germany, and spent his active duty touring and playing to audiences throughout Europe. After serving, he taught music in the Iowa public school system at the high school level. He then attended the University of Iowa where he earned both his Masters Degree (1966) and Ph.D. (1967) in Music. His doctoral dissertation was subsequently published in 1974 under the title “Percy Grainger: The Inveterate Innovator” which has since become required reading for graduate music students. From 1966 to 1979 he was a tenured professor and Department Chairman for the School of Music. In 1979 he successfully re-invented himself transitioning from academia to the business world when he joined Heritage Realtors as their business manager. In less than three years he became the owner of the company. He loved and excelled at both his music and business careers and never considered either one work.

Tom married Clare Lynn Durr in Milwaukee on June 4, 1964 and together they raised two sons, Tom and James. In 1983 she joined him at Heritage as a property manager and together they created and grew Heritage Property Management over the next 35 years.

When he wasn’t playing music or making real estate deals, Tom enjoyed writing, travel, golf, jazz, and had a more than passing interest in ice cream. He loved and was extremely proud of his two sons and especially his four grandchildren.
Survivors include: his wife of 56 years, Clare; his two sons, Tom (Lisa) of Cedar Rapids, and James (Susan) of Sacramento CA; four grandchildren (Joe, Alex, Brandan, and Ella), sister Ellen (Charlie) Quandt of Kokomo IN, brother Don (Marilyn) of Orlando FL, and several nieces and nephews.

Tom was preceded in death by: his parents, Larry and Esther Slattery; and his brother Joe Slattery.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to all the staff at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy for the care and compassion they showed in his time there.

Memorial donations may be made to the Thomas C. and Clare L. Slattery Scholarship in Writing at Coe College