Karl F. Slacik

Family-Placed Obituary

KARL F. SLACIK Karl F. Slacik for many years a member of the international financial community passed away at La Posada in Palm Beach Gardens, FL on Thursday, September 23, 2010 after a brief illness. He was 81 years old. Born in Binghamton, NY to a family engaged in a regional business he prematurely began working at age 13 because of the labor shortage during World War II. While working in the family business he continued attending school. He subsequently went to Rider University and received a Bachelors degree. His professional career began in upstate New York. As the depth of his technical expertise increased and became recognized outside the immediate area he was employed by the ITT Corporation as an internal consultant and worked extensively throughout South America. Following success in this assignment ITT transferred him and his family to Brussels, Belgium for four years where he was Finance Director for ITT Europe. He eventually left ITT and became Vice President and Controller of Indian Head Corporation in New York and subsequently Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Echlin Corporation in Branford, CT. In 1977 he was approached by Levi Strauss & Co. of San Francisco, the world's largest producer of apparel. He was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and elected to the board. Following retirement he briefly pursued other financial interests and in 1990 relocated to Palm Beach County in Florida. As a prominent financial executive Slacik was well known on Wall Street and in the money centers of Europe of where he represented his companies' interests. He authored several articles on finance and management and was a co-author of the "Chief Financial Officers Handbook" (Dow Jones-Irwin, 1986). He belonged to several professional organizations and was a founding member of the "International Association of Financial Executive Institutes and Vice President of the Belgian Institute. His wife and he were extensive travelers and had a wealth of business associates and friends throughout the world. Following retirement he frequently volunteered as a consultant for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Executive Service Corps (IESC). In this capacity he provided management expertise to governments, companies and institutions in countries with which the United States wished to strengthen relationships. He worked with the Ministry of Privatization in the Czech Republic in addition to numerous companies in Poland, the Slovak Republic, Russia including Siberia and Egypt. His academic interests included being a trustee of Dominican College and a member of the Business Advisory Board of Rider University. He was also a frequent guest lecturer at business schools and professional organizations. Early in his career he taught management accounting in evening classes at a local college. His civic associations included board memberships with the Bay Area U.S.O., the Bay Area Council of Boy Scouts and the U.S. Sixth Army Civilian Advisory Committee. He was a communicant of St. Patrick Church in Palm Beach Gardens and a member of the Knights of Columbus since 1960. Karl Slacik was married for 59 years to the former Regina C. Lasicki of Binghamton, NY. In addition he is survived by two daughters, Roxanne LaBeau of Las Vegas, NV and Claudia Slacik of London; three sons, Charles of Newport Coast, CA, Francis of San Francisco, CA and Kurt of Harrisburg, PA and five granddaughters. Funeral Services will be held Thursday, September 30 at 9:00 AM at the Sedlock Funeral Home, 161 Clinton Street, Binghamton, NY and at 9:30 AM at St. Cyril Church. Internment will be at the Slovak Catholic Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Wednesday, September 29, evening from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. To express condolences and/or make donations Visit PalmBeachPost.com/obituaries Web #5566186