Constance Gayle Slaughter

Constance “Connie” Slaughter burst into stardust and yarn fibers and returned to the ether realm on May 22, 2023. She left behind many loved ones and the unique items she made for them all. Many blankets, quilts, hats, and pillowcases were made lovingly by her hands. Her quilts, especially, were works of art.

But Connie was never a helpless old lady knitting or stitching away in her corner rocking chair. She was a warrior. Her chosen weapons may have been crocheting needles and a giant quilting machine, but she was never to be underestimated. She could settle a family squabble with a single word and negotiated with unions throughout her career at Kaiser Permanente. She simultaneously earned and demanded respect. Her daughter’s friends still say that Connie was the Original Boss Lady.

She was born into a working-class family in Billings, MT, where she lived with her folks, Oscar and Agnes Lawrenz, and four younger sisters. Her sisters adored and admired their big sister, even when Connie “played dead” on them. They all crowded into a tiny green-and-white house in Laurel, MT, which most likely would be considered a stylish bungalow now.

In high school, Connie enjoyed playing clarinet and saxophone in marching and dance band. She joined honor societies, loved science, and graduated valedictorian of her class. Ignoring the advice of her high school guidance counselor, who did not recommend college, she attended and graduated from St. Vincent’s School of Nursing at Caroll College in Helena, MT. She later went on to get her master's degree at Montana State University in Bozeman. She placed a high value on education, and she passed this value on to her children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Montana State University was also where she would meet her future husband and life-long love, James Barry Slaughter. He sat next to her in abnormal psych class and struck up a conversation, immediately hitting it off. They married in Laurel, MT, on June 14, 1971, and after graduation from MSU, they moved to Calgary, Alberta to start working.

While in Calgary, both worked for Hull Home, a leader in treating childhood mental health and trauma. Their children, Jocelyn and Christopher, were born in Calgary in 1974 and 1976, respectively.

The next year, Connie and Barry moved to Portland, OR, where they raised their family for the next twenty years. Family and friends were very important to her. She would always make time to go to Montana to see her sisters, travel to Olympia on holidays to visit Cousin Steve and Bev Masini, and help organize the bi-annual family reunions. Over time, the reunions grew so large that it would take over whatever restaurant, hotel, or resort area the extended group was occupying. She also excelled professionally, becoming an executive leader with the Kaiser Permanente health care organization.

After her kids were mostly grown and out of high school, she accepted a promotion and moved to Aurora, CO. She enjoyed making new friends, exploring a new state, and being closer to her sisters in Montana and Missouri. She also took her most treasured trips to Croatia during this time, where she got to meet her Croatian relatives and explore her family history.

After Barry retired, they moved to Rougemont, NC, and ran a small hobby farm. Granted, Barry was more into it than Connie, but she supported him as he fulfilled his dream. They owned several chickens, her favorite being a Polish rooster called Topknot. Connie would stay there until after Barry passed away.

In 2013, Connie moved to Brentwood, TN, to be close to her recently married son, Christopher, and her 3 grandchildren. She made new friendships with her neighbors, especially Mrs. Betty Williams, and volunteered at the Brentwood Public Library. She enjoyed picking up her grandkids on the weekends, taking them out for lunch, and spending the entire afternoon baking cookies or other tasty treats. While in Tennessee, she made frequent trips to Missouri, Montana, DC, the west coast, and elsewhere to visit family. At the time of her passing, she has just returned from one trip and had plane reservations for three more. All the trips were to see family, who will miss her tremendously.

Connie is predeceased by two brothers-in-law, Darrell McGillan and Larry Miller, and her husband, James Barry Slaughter. Her survivors include four sisters: Jan Miller, Linda McGillan, Karen Mace, and Kim Davis, and their husbands and children. Other survivors include her daughter, Jocelyn (Slaughter) Mackie, her son, James Christopher Slaughter, and his spouse, Wendy (Wolford) Slaughter, and three grandchildren, Paige Perkins, Payton Perkins, and Kennedy Slaughter. She came from a large family and built a strong community, so the number of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and professional connections is almost endless. There is no doubt of her impact on everyone she met.

A Celebration of Life will be announced in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, the immediate family requests that donations be made to the Brentwood Public Library or other charitable organization of your choosing.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Brentwood-Roesch-PattonFuneralHome.com for the Slaughter family.