Robert Stephen Slater

Robert Stephen Slater was born January 16, 1928 in Pasadena, Maryland, one of five children. He owes an immeasurable love to his mother, who raised him alone after his father died in 1931, but with the support of a stepfather. He graduated from Glen Burnie High School in 1945 and served 18 months in the Coast Guard. He then entered the University of Baltimore and graduated in 1951, aided by the G.I. Bill and working part time, such as at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio.
On November 2, 1950, he took the most important and wonderful step of his life, marrying Robin Holzbach of Newport News, Virginia, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Syracuse University, former school teacher and fellow teacher at the dance studio. Subsequently they decided on a career in the ministry.
Bob graduated from Harvard Divinity School in 1955 and served Unitarian Churches in Northfield and Bernardston, MA, Pittsburgh, PA (as assistant) and Westford, MA. He began serving the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lynn in 1968 and continued for almost 22 years. During those years, he came to love every member and friend of the church. He served the community, the Council of Churches and the Mass Bay District of UU Churches in a variety of ways, as well as being active with the UU Christian Fellowship for many years, serving as its president for two years. He was one of the founders of the UU Psi Symposium in 1969 and served two years as its president. Bob had been richly blessed by his association with the Lynn Church.
The great loves of his life had been his wife Robin and their two daughters, Tracy and Kelly, who have been devoted to both of them.
Bob might summarize his religious beliefs by saying that all experiences in life offer opportunities for growth in the ways of love of all people and things; that the selfless example of Jesus is the way, and that life is continuous with the death of the physical body.