Dr. Thomas Carl Slattery

DR. THOMAS CARL SLATTERY

Cedar Rapids

Dr. Thomas Carl Slattery, 85, passed away Nov. 2, 2020, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy. A visitation will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, 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 face masks or shields is required. A private family burial service will take place at Cherry Mound Cemetery in Allamakee County, Iowa.

Tom was born July 31, 1935, in La Crosse, Wis., 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 U.S. 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 reinvented 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, Calif.; four grandchildren, Joe, Alex, Brandan and Ella; sister, Ellen (Charlie) Quandt of Kokomo, Ind.; brother, Don (Marilyn) of Orlando, Fla.; 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.

Online condolences may be left at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.