Albert Charles Slater, age 88, passed away Tuesday morning in Urbana, Illinois (December 2, 2014).

Albert is survived by his wife of 64 years, Myrtle Slater; his son Keith Slater (Janie) of Spokane, WA; his daughter Chris SlaterVohs (Jim) of Champaign, IL; his daughter Sonja Geiger of Castaic, CA; his daughter Lillian Slater of Livingston, MT; and his foster daughter Stacey Veach (Tony) of Hawaii.

Albert was born on October 2, 1926 in Dover England to Albert and Violet (Kerr) Slater. He immigrated to the United States in 1948 after serving in the British Army where he was stationed in Hamburg, Germany in the Military Police Corps. He and Myrtle were wed in July of 1950 and soon after he became naturalized in the U.S., proud to be a voting American citizen.

Always the consummate "company man", Albert started working at the age of 13 for the Austin Motor Company in England. After arriving in the U.S. in 1948, he began working for General Electric in Syracuse, NY in the television receiver department for $1.10/hour. He retired from GE 37 years later. Throughout his working career he always held a second job so that he could provide the very best for his family. After retiring, Albert continued to work as a volunteer for 26 years at Parkview Memorial Hospital in Fort Wayne, IN.

He was a faithful member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Fort Wayne for 46 years, where he was head usher for more than 25 years. Since moving to Urbana two years ago, he has been welcomed into the loving congregation at St. Matthews Lutheran Church and a circle of friends at Prairie Winds of Urbana.

A self-made man, Albert was extremely well read. Living through the Blitzkrieg of England during World War II impacted his decision to immigrate to the U.S. and instilled a keen interest in all things related to history. He also enjoyed opera and classical music, attending symphonies and musical performances whenever possible.

Albert will be remembered for his sense of humor, his integrity and his genuine personality. From him, we learned the importance of having a strong work ethic and doing a good job. He will be missed dearly, but never forgotten.

Also surviving are his grandchildren, Sarah Blabolil (Randy), Emily Geiger, Parker Slater, Conner Slater, Jack Slater and Brennan Slater; and his great-grandchildren, Mia Blabolil and Slater Blabolil. An only child, Albert is preceded in death by his parents.

A memorial service and celebration of Albert's life will be held Friday, December 5th at 10:30am at St. Matthews Lutheran Church of Urbana. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Albert's name to St. Matthews Lutheran Church or the American Red Cross.