John “Jack” Gadsden Slattery

John Gadsden “Jack” Slattery died peacefully on Monday, August 14th, at the home of his daughter in Harlingen, Texas. He was 92 years old.

He is survived by his daughters, Deborah Scarlett (Kenneth) of Daniel Island, Grace Johnson (Darrel) of Harlingen, Texas, Susan Leone of Carson City, Nevada, and Maria Munger of Atlanta, Georgia. He is preceded in death by his loving wife of almost 61 years, Mary Ann Slattery. He is also preceded in death by his three sisters: Patricia “Patsy” Brand of Bethesda, Maryland, Aurelia Wise of Greenville, and Louise “Weezie” Latimer of Charlotte, North Carolina; and a beloved cousin, John Mikell of Greenville.

Born in 1930, he was the youngest child of Louise Phillips Slattery and Lawrence Patrick “L.P.” Slattery. The family lived in the downtown area of Greenville and were members of St. Mary’s church, where Jack served as an altar boy and attended elementary school. During the great depression, they moved to Washington DC and later St. Louis Missouri, where Jack became an avid Cardinals fan and attended the Chaminade school. In 1948 the family returned to Greenville, and Jack was thrilled to reunite with childhood friends in the inaugural 12th grade class of Greenville High.

After graduating from Clemson in 1953, Jack and his bride moved to Dayton, Ohio. He was stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, where he served as 1st Lieutenant. After later living in Columbia and Charlotte, the couple returned to Greenville with four daughters in tow. They became involved in the community, and many knew Jack as the official starter for the Gower Estates swim team or as “Coach Slattery” of the YMCA Rams.

Jack was a “people person” and he carried an air of positivity in all his endeavors. He enjoyed a lifelong career in commercial HVAC sales and was vice president of Stipp & Powell, Inc. He served as president of the Greenville Touchdown Club, Greenville IPTAY Club, and the ASHRAE professional organization, and later in his most cherished role as “Papa Jack” to his ten grandchildren: Patrick Scarlett (Catherine), Jacqui Scarlett, Nikki Scarlett, Annika Johnson, Danae O’Donovan (Nic), Konrad Johnson, Ross Leone, Kevin Leone, Katharine Munger, and Ann Marie Munger; and his four great-grandchildren: Adrian Leone, Lexia Leone, Mary Gadsden Scarlett, and Virginia Scarlett.

Visitation will be held Thursday, September 21, 2023 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown. The funeral service will be held on Friday, September 22 at 11:00 a.m. at Christ Church Episcopal; a private burial will follow. Memorials may be made to Meals on Wheels, 15 Oregon Street, Greenville, SC 29605; or the L. P. Slattery Memorial Scholarship Endowment, Clemson University Foundation, PO Box 1889, Clemson, SC 29633-1889.

The family wishes to express deep appreciation to the Dirty Dozen golf group for their many years of camaraderie and friendship; to Rosa, Aly, and Paul for their loving care in Jack’s final years; and to the three generations who called him “Uncle Jack.”