James Crawford Slaughter

JAMES CRAWFORD SLAUGHTER, age 67, died Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston, TX. James was born July 16, 1937, in Little Rock, Arkansas to Dr. Wilbur Logan and Florence Ray Slaughter. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Janice Reel Slaughter, and his children Karen Lynne Porcaro and her husband Rich, daughter Susan Dawn Bettis, and son James Crawford Slaughter, Jr. and wife Bethanne. He is also survived by his four precious grandchildren: Jay Bettis, Christopher Porcaro, Caroline Slaughter and James Slaughter. James graduated from Little Rock Central High School in 1955, Hendrix College in 1959, and Southern Methodist University School of Law in 1962. While at SMU he was on the Law Review and was a member of Delta Theta Phi Legal Fraternity. After law school James clerked for three years for the Honorable James L. Noel, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Texas. He joined the law firm of Fulbright and Jaworski in 1965, where he spent the majority of his time in the Litigation Section. It was during his 38 years at F&J that he acquired the nickname "Slick" - a name he enjoyed for the rest of his life. James was a lifetime member of the Houston Bar Association, the Texas Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He retired from Fulbright and Jaworski in 2003. James and Janice built their retirement home in Bentwater on Lake Conroe and moved there in 1998. Living on the lake was a dream come true for James, and he spent many happy hours there with his grandchildren fishing, feeding the ducks, and going for rides in "Papa Slick's" boat. The family will hold a private burial at Memorial Oaks Cemetery. To celebrate his life, friends of James and his family are invited to attend a reception on Thursday, July 7, 6:00-9:00 p.m., at the Lakeside Country Club, 100 Wilcrest Drive, Houston. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Community Partners of Montgomery County, also known as "The Rainbow Room," a resource for abused and neglected children, c/o Bill Smith, 39 Brookgreen Circle So., Montgomery, TX 77356. James borrowed his philosophy of life from Robert Browning who wrote, "Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?"