Search Results

SLAVIN, CONSTANCE H. Age 87, of Albuquerque, passed away on Thursday, January 9, 2014. She is survived by her three children and their families, Marc Slavin of Oakland, CA and his partner, Mark Heltemes; Adam Slavin of Albuquerque and wife, Paula, their children Jason and Dalia; and Susanne Wooldridge of Colorado Springs, CO and her husband, Greg, and their children, Skylar and Parker. Constance Rella Halter was born in Minneapolis, the only child of Joel Mayer Halter of Liverpool, England and the former Rose Marie Seham of Minneapolis. The family lived in a one-bedroom flat above a relative's grocery store. An uncle, Max Seham, the sole Jewish pediatrician in the Twin Cities, was an active figure in the Democrat-Farmer-Labor party, and inspired an early interest in politics and civil rights. At 13, Connie moved with her parents to Seattle, where she found a welcoming and egalitarian Jewish community that held her devotion throughout her life. She completed undergraduate studies in sociology at the University of Washington, then moved to San Francisco in the early 1950's where she began a career writing advertising copy at CBS radio, and taught Sunday School at the city's reform synagogue, Temple Emanuel. Her family often heard stories of luminaries such as Edward R. Murrow and Bing Crosby whom she worked alongside in her radio days. In 1955, she married Gerald M. Slavin. The family spent three years in Brazil, where Jerry served in the U. S. Foreign Service. They moved to Albuquerque in 1965. Connie worked as a substitute teacher for grades 1-6 in the Albuquerque Public Schools. She then returned to graduate school, completed a masters degree in health education at the University of New Mexico, and began another career as a disability adjudicator for the State of New Mexico. She was an early and ardent champion of health and environmental causes. She supported a national movement for zero population growth in the 1960's and advocated for curbside recycling in the 1970's. She was also an enthusiastic shopper whose interests extended to interior design and fashion. She designed the family's home in the classic adobe style of New Mexico, and often said she regarded it, next to her children, as her best accomplishment. The family would like to thank the exceptional team of caregivers who made Connie's last years comfortable: Mary Medlin, Matthew Anderson, Cassandra Chavez, Autumn Cramer, Denise Duran, Roseann Padilla, Lyndon Phelps, Marianita Salais, and Trevor Trent. Graveside Service will be held Sunday, January 12, 2014, 1:00 p.m., at Fairview Memorial Park Cemetery, 700 Yale Blvd. SE. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Albuquerque Hadassah, 5520 Wyoming Blvd. NE 87109. Please visit our online guest book for Connie at www.FrenchFunerals.com FRENCH - University 1111 University Blvd NE 505-843-6333
        Published on: Sun January 12, 2014