Thomas Eugene Slattery

Thomas Eugene Slattery of Indianapolis, Indiana passed away Friday, October 18, 2024. Tom was born on August 31, 1935 in Salem, South Dakota to the late Ruth, nee Coome, and Patrick Slattery.  Tom attended school at St. Mary’s Catholic primary school and high school in Salem.  On December 29,1959, in Cairo, Missouri, Tom married the love of his life Gaylene Marie Starr. Tom and Gaylene were married 47 years, until Gaylene’s passing on June 12, 2007.

Tom served 21 years in the United States Army and was instrumental in the dismantling and closure of the Nike Missile Site in Porter, Indiana. The making of good friends Pete and Mary (Simon) Kipper and the quality of the education system in Chesterton, Indiana influenced the decision to return after Tom’s retirement from the Army. Tom was employed by Frick Farm Services at the Port of Indiana, until his second retirement. Tom also was a driver for Bell Mortuary & Crematory.

Tom and Gaylene’s lives centered around their children and later their grandchildren. They rarely missed a swim meet, band contest, school play, dance recital, or major sporting event.  After Gaylene’s passing Tom never missed a choir performance or competition, swim meet, diving meet, or tennis match. Tom and Gaylene traveled thousands of miles to be as involved in their grandchildren’s activities as they possibly could. Into his eighties Tom could be counted on to roll up his pant legs and come onto a pool deck when extra timers were needed, whether it be at Western Kentucky University or North Central High School in Indianapolis, Tom was happy to help.

Tom and Gaylene’s second passion was travel.  They traveled to 49 state capitals, only missing Honolulu.  They traveled to Manchester, England and Seoul, South Korea. Tom planned nearly 30 mission trips to Mexico providing over One Hundred, Fifty Thousand of people with eyeglasses. A clinic in Mexico was named in honor of Tom and Gaylene for their dedication to the mission of providing sight.  Tom processed hundreds of thousands of pairs of eyeglasses, if not more than a million, for the mission. Tom traveled all around the country gathering eye glasses for the mission.

Tom is survived by son Tim of Bowling Green, Kentucky, daughter Susan Garrard of Indianapolis, grandchildren Nicholas Slattery of Louisville, Kentucky, Hannah and Macmillian Slattery of Bowling Green, Kentucky, William and Thomas Garrard of Bloomington, Indiana, sister Phyllis Buckwalter of Lakeville Minnesota, sister Carol Fitzmaurice of Bloomington, Minnesota, brother Terry Slattery of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, brother William and sister in law Laura Marquardt of Sioux Falls many, many beloved nieces, nephews, and great great nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents and wife Gaylene, Tom was preceded in death by stepfather Herbert Marquardt, beloved in(out) laws Darlo Buckwalter and Cynthia Slattery, and nephew Larry Fitzmaurice.

No services are planned. The family asks that in the spirit of Tom’s lifetime of giving that you do something nice for someone every single day just for the sake of being nice. Tom was equal to the best men who ever lived, and he will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

Online condolences at www.bellmortuary.com