Rancho Mirage, CA-James Munro Slater was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, January 7, 1929 son of Donald and Leone Slater; he passed away in Rancho Mirage, California, December 26, 2018. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Mary JoAnn Strout, and by his five children, Jim, Julie, Jan, Jerry, and Jon, 14 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren. He was a devoted husband and father. James was a graduate of West High School, the University of Utah, and Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He specialized in radiation oncology and chaired the Department of Radiation Medicine at Loma Linda University for more than 20 years. He had a strong belief that God and family were the foundation of inspiration and creativity, and he always put family first. He had a passion for teaching, inspired by his mother and third-grade teacher. His teaching skills were superb and were not limited to classrooms; he used everyday examples as opportunities of how to learn and solve problems. He approached life from the point of view that everything he did was an example of how one should live. As a physician his overarching quality was compassion, derived from observations and experiences of patients' suffering; this led him to create and implement new concepts in radiation medicine treatment planning. Specifically, he led the development of a planning system that incorporated digital data taken directly from patients, improving the accuracy and precision of radiotherapy plans and making possible treatment methods, such as IMRT and proton radiation therapy, that exploited the precision of these plans. His pioneering planning system led to numerous national and international awards. Following that innovation, he conceptualized and led a team of physicians, physicists, and health-care professionals to create and build the proton accelerator and treatment center at Loma Linda University in California. This facility, the first proton system in the world dedicated to treating patients, also resulted in many national and international awards. Nonetheless, Dr. Slater's humility and concern for patients remained the core of his practice as a physician, qualities that were very inspiring to colleagues and everyone who met him. One of his greatest joys in life was to see family, colleagues, and students excel and achieve their goals. He will be sorely missed by family, friends, colleagues, and patients for his vision, leadership, clear thinking, and compassion. Memorial Services will be held at 2 PM, Saturday, January 5, 2019, at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary on 3401 S Highland Drive Salt Lake City.

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Published by The Salt Lake Tribune from Jan. 3 to Jan. 4, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for James Slater

Sponsored by Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary.

6 Entries

Daila Gridley, PhD

January 7, 2019

I am so very sad to learn that Dr. James M. Slater has passed on. He was a remarkable human being in many respects. He was very kind and compassionate, as well as exceptionally smart and innovative. He definitely did revolutionize radiation therapy to benefit patients around the world. I am very grateful to have had the privilege and honor to work with him for almost four decades of time. My family and I express our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

Eternal Friendship Remembrance Bouquet - VASE INCLUDED

Clifford vance

Sent Flowers

January 4, 2019

We were all saddened to hear of Jim's death. He was a very special and caring man. We were so grateful for all the loving care he gave my husband during his treatment and after. They were cousins but he was the same with everyone. I want to give my deepest condolence to JoAnn and all of your family. We loved and admired him. With love, Shirley Slater (husband Robert (Bob)

Donna Gunrud

January 3, 2019

Dear Jo Ann, I was sorry to read of your husband's passing. I want to express my sincere sympathy to you and your family. Love, Donna Gunrud (Betty's club friend)

a loved one

Sent Flowers

January 3, 2019

THE LONG HAUL

Upon the road
I met a man
who saw my load
and lent a hand.

His back was strong
and so, his smile;
the road was long
but all the while

we walked the way
with stately pace,
because the day
was not a race

but proffered hours
for one another
to treasure flowers
and ask the other:

What memories
befriend your eye?
What vision frees
your heart to fly?

What hopes have you
for days to come?
What would you do
when hope is numb?

At length we came
to drop the load;
we'd shared the same,
likewise the road,

and in the space
where partners part
had found the place
in the other's heart

where time is oath
and trust is sowed
and so were loath
to quit the road.

We walked instead
to the farthest bend
before I said,
"Farewell, my friend."

Bill Preston