Alan Milsted SLATER

ALAN MILSTED SLATER 'Sir' On January 6, 2023, after 89 years of "clinging to the wreckage", and surrounded by family, he left on his own terms. He leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Linda; sons, David, Simon and Robin, listed in order of age and good looks; their respective wives, Diane, Debbie and Rosa; two granddaughters, Samantha (Will) and Bronwyn (Lee). Samantha and Will had the good sense to provide our parents with a much loved and photographed great-granddaughter, Charley. Born in 1933, Dad grew up playing on Hadrian's wall. Perhaps it was seeing Roman engineering that drew him to the same field. He got his degree in Mechanical Engineering from Durham University. At the ripe old age of 22 he left England for Canada where he met our mother who had just arrived from Wales. Dad had a very successful career specializing in material handling for CN, INCO, the Canadian Mint and Canada Post. What he loved most was building. In the first 20 years of marriage there was not a stick of furniture in the house that he hadn't built. He designed championship winning race cars, regatta wining sailboats and at 68 built an energy efficient house on "Windy Acres". He loved odd cars especially English ones because no matter what falls off it is the best of British engineering. He always found a way to get things done. When none of the traditional yacht clubs would let in the sailboat that he designed and built, he started the Toronto Multihull Cruising Club which is now over 50 years old. We don't know how he found the time, but he did, and for his whole family as well. He would not take us to the movies, but he let us rebuild engines while being forced to listen to opera. He never worked late because it was not worth the time away from his family and we knew it. When his last days were coming, we asked him what he wanted. He answered "beans on toast, and a soft bun with butter and a slice of tomato". A man who knew his own mind.