William SLAWSON

SLAWSON _ William F. Slawson passed away on September 22, 2002 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario after 9 months of valiantly fighting Myelodysplasia. Bill attacked his final battle with the calm determination, persistent hard work and lack of complaints that he had displayed through out his life. He was born on July 4, 1929 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Chester B. Slawson and Ethel Fralick Slawson. He spent many enjoyable summers with his parents and his sister on their property in Leelanau County, Michigan. Bill graduated from the University of Michigan in 1952 before serving in the U.S. army from 1952 to 1954. He obtained a PhD in Geological Engineering from the University of Utah in 1958 and then spent three years doing postdoctoral research at the University of Toronto. In 1961, he became a Professor of Geophysics & Astronomy at the University of British Columbia. He retired in 1992. He married Nancy Spjut in 1956 in Salt Lake City, Utah. They had 3 children, Bob, Rochester, New York; Richard (Karen), Summit, New Jersey; Diane Mohammadi (Ehsan), Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and Linda Van Dorn, Ahousat, B.C. He had 9 grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Mary Duff (Don); Leland, Michigan. Bill had a great love for travel. During his tenure at UBC, he took his family on sabbatical leaves to South Africa, California and New Zealand. In addition he visited many countries and Antarctica. However, his favorite place to be was the property in Michigan that has been in the family for 50 years. A memorial will be held in Northport, Michigan on October 13, 2002. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplasia Assoc., 22 Aikenhead Road, Etobicoke, Ontario. www.aamac.ualberta.ca