OWLS HEAD — Lt. Colonel Robert Adair Slater, USAF, ret., passed peacefully April 4, 2018, in Cocoa Beach, Florida.  Bob was born March 16, 1931 in Sioux City, Iowa, to Frank Gaylord and Helen Adair Slater. He graduated from Coe College where he met his loving wife Dolores (Dolly) Johnson of Evanston, Illinois.  They were married in Evanston in 1954. 

Bob served 20 years in the Air Force as a pilot, and retired in 1973 from Patrick Air Force Base where he flew the ARIA during the Apollo missions, his squadron delivering the first samples of Moon rocks to Houston Space Center. Bob also trained in the F105, flew the C-111 and the C-135 refueling planes in Viet Nam. He was attached to the 100th Air Refueling Squadron and Strategic Air Command (SAC).

He loved meeting people and trying new hobbies and enjoyed sailing and racing, road rallies with Dolly in his TR4, snow skiing, travel of all types, his dogs, bad jokes, garage sales, and of course his family. His final move was to Owl’s Head, ME, in 1977 where he continued flying a Fokker crop-dusting plane, and flying offshore spotting swordfish.  Bob also operated Slater Service Lighting before retiring to his beloved “therapy lot,” a 1-acre wooded lot behind their home.

Bob was a member of St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Thomaston, and attended St. David’s By the Sea Episcopal Church when wintering in Cocoa Beach.

Bob is survived by Dolly and his three daughters, Cynthia (David) Kendall, Sandra (Mark) Wurtzebach, and Judith (Robert) Eberle; grandchildren Giuliana and Ian (Alexis) Kendall, Merritt (William) Walker and John Eberle.  Great grandchildren Ava and Cody Kendall, sister Jean (Robert) Kerns of Tampa, Florida.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday April 21, at St. David’s By the Sea, 600 S. 4th St., Cocoa Beach, Florida.  Col. Slater will be interned at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in a private ceremony.

The family would like to give sincere thanks to Vitas Healthcare and its kind staff, and St. David’s by the Sea clerical officials with their dedication to Bob and Dolly’s recent needs.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. David’s By the Sea “Outreach Fund” or St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church “discretionary fund”, 200 Main St., Thomaston, ME 04861. You may sign Bob’s guestbook at beckman-williamson.com