Charles Timothy Slat

Charles Timothy Slat of Monroe Township died Wednesday, July 20, 2016 in the afternoon at University of Michigan Hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment for leukemia. Born Oct. 29, 1951, in Detroit, Charlie was the son of William and Hilda (Schall) Slat. He married Carol Schlagheck on Jan. 16, 1981, in Taylor. Charlie graduated from Taylor Center High School in 1969, and from Eastern Michigan University in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in journalism. While at EMU, he was news editor of The Eastern Echo student newspaper and developed a passion for community journalism. He spent four years reporting for The Ypsilanti Press before coming to The Monroe Evening News to cover county government in August 1978. He reported on the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant and local business news for decades. He particularly enjoyed writing stories that explained economic news and protected consumers. When appropriate (and sometimes when not), he sprinkled humor into his writing. He rarely met a pun he didn’t love. Charlie officially retired from The Monroe News on Oct. 31, 2013, but continued to write a weekly business column and occasional other stories. His last column appeared in the July 17 Sunday paper. He also served as an employee representative on The Monroe Publishing Co. Board of Directors through 2015. He was a fierce advocate for his adopted hometown and did not tolerate people complaining about Monroe. He frequently defended the community, celebrating assets including local history, Lake Erie, the River Raisin, and state and national parks. During his brief retirement, Charlie authored two books intended to educate young people about Monroe’s role in the War of 1812: “Ghosts of the River Raisin” and “Legends of the River Raisin.” Charlie enjoyed playing hockey and was an avid fan of the Detroit Red Wings and Monroe Ice Hawks. He loved sailing, cross-country skiing and vacationing in northern Michigan. Most of all, he enjoyed talking and laughing with his family, including three children who have inherited his wit. Survivors include his wife, Carol; two sons, Christopher of Monroe and Nicholas at home; a daughter, Stephanie, at home; a brother, William (Fran) Slat, of Brooklyn; a sister, Kathryn Biehl, of Johannesburg; a brother-in-law, John (Jana) Schlagheck of Bowling Green, Ohio; four sisters-in-law, Marie Fox of Fairfax, Va.; Susan (Mike) Jones of Temperance; Kathleen (Tom) Beach Wirick of Ida, and Kristine (Mark) Nowicki of Temperance; numerous nieces and nephews, and the family’s golden retriever, Rosey. Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 28, 2016 from 2-8 PM at the Bacarella Funeral Home, 1201 S. Telegraph Rd., Monroe, Michigan, 48161. Memorials may be made to Carol Schlagheck for establishment of a Charles T. Slat journalism scholarship at Eastern Michigan University.

Charles Timothy Slat

October 29, 1951 - July 20, 2016