- Date Of Birth: 1923
- Date Of Death: 2022
- State: Colorado
Elwin J. Slack, age 99, passed away peacefully on Monday, December 5, 2022. Known affectionately as “EJ” to all who knew and loved him, he was born in Detroit, Michigan to James and Rachel (Mattice) Slack.
He spent his early years in Detroit, where his father owned a pharmacy. While in childhood, he and his mother were very close to EJ’s youngest uncle and his wife, Hazen and Marie. Both were teachers in the Detroit Public School system.
EJ was a bright and exceptional student who entered college at the age of 16, only to have his education interrupted by the outbreak of WWII. He was inducted into the Army and sent to Colorado where he received infantry training in mountain warfare. As EJ had the ability to type, he was assigned to serve in Military Intelligence and was stationed in London, England.
At the end of the war, he returned to Huron County, Michigan where he met and married Jean Cole. They moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan where EJ was able to continue his education at the University of Michigan. He received a Bachelor of Arts in 1947 and a Master of Arts in 1952. He and Jean had two sons, Steven and Daniel, and a daughter, Deborah, who sadly died within days after her birth.
EJ enjoyed his career as a teacher and was a passionate educator, initially teaching in the Livonia Public School system. He returned to the University of Michigan to earn his certification in homebound education so that he could bring his love of learning to those unable to physically attend a school classroom. Subsequently, he moved on to the Garden City Public School system to become their hospital and homebound teacher. His proudest accomplishment in this position was to educate a student successfully from kindergarten all the way through the twelfth grade.
In 1972, the family lost Jean to breast cancer. Shortly thereafter, EJ was introduced by mutual friends to Sandra “Bernie” LaRouche. She was also a schoolteacher and they found that they had a lot in common. They fell in love, married, and blended their families to include Sandra’s daughter, Lenee, and her son, Michael. EJ and Bernie as they were collectively known, were married for 48 years, before Bernie’s passing in April 2022.
EJ is survived by his four children/stepchildren – Steven Slack (Trish Joyce), Daniel (Patricia) Slack, Lenee LaRouche, Michael (Gianna) LaRouche; his nine grandchildren – Connor Slack, Devin Slack, Joshua Slack, Joel Slack, Kristen Slack, Elizabeth Stockton, Anna Wigandt, Marisa LaRouche, and Matthew LaRouche; as well as his six great-grandchildren.
EJ lived a rich, full, and long life filled with the love of friends and family. He was a devoted husband, supportive father, genuine friend, and loyal University of Michigan football fan. He loved to travel, read, discuss current events, and keep up with evolving technologies. He was well known for giving sage advice such as “A fool and his gold soon part” and “There’s no college that gives a degree in common sense.”
