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Thomas Slaninka Obituary
He was born July 8, 1938, in Chicago, to Emil and Elsie (Rehak) Slaninka.
He worked for Motorola for 38 years. He began his career as an Industrial Engineer in 1960. He advanced through various assignments within this business, eventually becoming inventory control and systems manager.
He then progressed to material operations manager, manufacturing operations manager and director of manufacturing operations in the Fixed Products Division. In 1989, he became the director of sector sourcing for the communications sector.
Throughout his career, he established new directions and set new standards of excellence. His reputation as a strategic thinker and process champion in the sourcing arena is established throughout the industry and supplier community. He represented Motorola at various industry forums; he participated in leadership conferences on sourcing as a guest speaker at General Electric, IBM, 3M and many other corporations, as well as at governmental conferences in Ireland and India. He made the cover of "Purchasing" magazine, a national publication for purchasing professionals, bringing Motorola well-earned recognition as a leader in this area.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Merle, nee Singer; his children, Laura (Tom) Healy, Julie (Mark) Nystrom, Chris (Matt) Hintz, Carrie (John) Wagner and Nancy (Paul) Forster; his grandchildren, Eileen, Kerri and Liam Healy, Jack, Kate, Brett and Brian Nystrom, Renee Hintz and Jason Hintz, Jessica Wagner and Mark Wagner, and Nick Forster and Andrew Forster; his brother, Richard (Marilyn) Slaninka; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
The visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 3, at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 419 E. Terra Cotta Ave., Crystal Lake. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 4, with a visitation one hour before the service at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 410 N. First St., Cary. Interment will follow in Windridge Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 651 W. Washington Blvd., Suite 400, Chicago, IL, 60661, or www.lls.org.
For information, call Davenport Family Funeral Home at 815-459-3411.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Thomas Slaninka
Carin Jelinek
May 7, 2011
Tom was such a great friend and mentor to me. He gave me much guidance when I needed it the most while working in Supply Chain Management at Motorola. I was sorry to hear of his passing as he was an inspiration to many. Take hold of the memories you have made together so they may comfort you in the days ahead.
Sincerely,
Carin Jelinek
Kate McHugh Hunter
May 6, 2011
My name is Kate (McHugh) Hunter. My father,(Kevin C. McHugh) too, is one of the finest men I have ever known. His predilection toward true friends is discriminating. I simply wanted to let you know what he told me a few nights ago about Mr. Slaninka. "Tom was my oldest and best friend from Motorola. He was my mentor and my boss many times. He was one of the nicest, best man I ever knew." May God bless & keep you all at this sorrowful time.
May 3, 2011
Please accept our deepest sympathy for your loss. Your family will be in our thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely,
Ed and Delores Kowalczyk
Kathy Olsen
May 3, 2011
Tom was the person who first offered me a position in my current field of Supply Chain. His guidance led me to a career that I thoroughly enjoy, and I'm eternally grateful for his guidance. I can remember a number of his sayings, though I think my favorite was, "If it was easy, anyone could do it!". I'm sad at Tom's passing, but thinking of him still makes me smile! My thought and prayers go out to the entire Slaninka family.
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Keith Soldner
May 3, 2011
Tom was a friend and coach for me at Motorola. I'll always remember his his perpetual smile, warm personality, and the insightful guidance that he gave to me.
Dolores Durkovic-Thomas
May 2, 2011
On behalf of my sister, Dorothy, and my brother, Daniel Durkovic, please accept our sincere condolences.
Donna Nolen
May 2, 2011
My thoughts and prayers are with you in your time of grief. May your memories bring you comfort.
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