Doris Slayback

SLAYBACK Doris Slayback, age 96, who resided at the Carolton Hospital in Fairfield, died on Thursday, July 8, 2004, after a two-year decline. Mrs. Slayback, known to her friends as "Dolly," lived in Harrison, N.Y., for more than 50 years. She was active in community affairs, the Historical Society, Friends of the Library, a much-loved book discussion group, and volunteered at Guiding Eyes for the Blind for many years. A homemaker, widowed at age 43, by the untimely death of her husband, Russell B. Slayback, she went to work at the New York Telephone Co. in Westchester and Manhattan, built her home, put her two children through college and went back to school herself, earning an associate degree in business at the Westchester Community College. Over the years she continued taking classes that interested her, even traveling to London with a mostly young English literature and history class at the age of 79. Besides her husband, she was predeceased by her brothers, William and John Gardner. Survivors are her son, Russell G. Slayback and his wife, Judith Slayback, of Greens Farms; her daughter, Ava Burkard and her husband, John Burkard, of Clinton, Mich.; her grandchildren, Leigh Reed and her husband, Rob, Lynn Sikora and her husband, Gary, Jay Burkard and his wife, Mary, and Ted Burkard and his wife, Nicola Standish. She also leaves seven great-grandchildren. Visitation for family and friends will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 13, 2004, at the Graham Funeral Home, 1036 Boston Post Road, Rye, N.Y. Interment at Kensico Cemetery will be private. Memorial donations may be made to: Guiding Eyes for the Blind, 611 Granite Springs Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598.