William "Bill" Henry (Hank) Sliter

William Henry Valentine Sliter, known to all as "Hank" in his school years and "Bill" thereafter, passed away on June 1, 2020 at the age of 88 years. A Celebration of Bill's life will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2020 at Cox-Rowley Funeral Home located at 4180 Canyon Drive with the graveside service immediately following at Memorial Park at 6969 East I-40 with Corky Holland, First Baptist Church Minister of Pastoral Care to Senior Adults, officiating at both. Bill was a Valentine's baby born in a log cabin in the Ozark Hills of Missouri to Alexander Sliter and Sarah Ann (Mayo) Sliter with delivery by a midwife. He attended grade school in Wortham, Missouri and high school in Frankclay, Missouri. During that time, he also completed a welding course at Lead Belt Trade School. Upon graduation from high school, he proudly joined the U.S. Navy to serve in the Korean conflict. Bill decided to discharge from the Navy in April of 1954 to then join the U.S. Air Force in September of 1954. From Chitose AFB in Hokkaido, Japan, where he met and married his lovely wife, Ikuko "Mickey" Sliter, to both Sherman and Amarillo, Texas, then on to Hawaii, a long stay back in Japan at Misawa AFB in Honshu, Japan, then the final station in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Bill served his country with his beloved wife and three daughters with him wherever he went. He served in the U.S. Air Force until his retirement in June of 1971. Upon his discharge, Bill worked various jobs while attending night school under the GI Bill to attain his Associate Degree in Applied Science. He was hired on at Pantex in January of 1973 while continuing with his night school classes. After attaining his degree, he also instructed the Principles of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration at Amarillo College until 1983. Bill retired from Pantex in April of 1994. Bill then became ill and diagnosed with a rare medical disease which resulted in kidney failure. After undergoing dialysis for nearly two 2 years, Bill's daughters rallied to provide him with a kidney. As the closest match, the blessing and honor of the kidney donation was granted to the eldest daughter, Jane, so that Bill could sustain a better quality of living. Bill enjoyed and loved fishing, camping, metal detecting, coin collecting, volleyball, bowling, horseshoe tournaments, and playing dominoes and card games. He was a member of First Baptist Church and the International Sunday School Class, the Amarillo Senior Citizen Association, VFW Post 430, and was a certified volunteer Benefits Counselor of the State of Texas. Bill volunteered at the Area Agency on Aging to assist lower income seniors in obtaining medications from the pharmaceutical companies, a position he enjoyed so very much. The live donor kidney given by Jane enabled Bill to live a life he loved and lasted him for many, many years through his last breath. Preceding Bill in death were his parents, Alexander and Sarah Ann Sliter, his brother Alfred Cleo Sliter, who was killed in the Korean conflict, and his half-brothers Virgil Albert Warren and Wilburn Warren and half-sister Dorothy Seabourne, who also have been deceased for quite some time. In addition, preceding Bill in death in the recent past was his beloved wife, Ikuko "Mickey" Sliter, and his son-in law, Robert W. Sillivent. Bill and his legacy will forever continue to lovingly live on through the hearts and memories of his three daughters - Jane Rose with husband Jamey Rose and son Christian Rose; his daughter Shelby Jean Sillivent and son Devin Hinds; his daughter June Sliter with longtime partner/fiance Ivan "Booger" King; and his granddaughter Jessica Jones Robertson with husband Elias Robertson and daughter Jericha Robertson. Bill's legacy was also extended to include the unexpected and pleasurable, albeit brief, reunion with his biological granddaughter Amanda Burdett and children Thomas, Jaxson, Lily and Daisy. Bill was a fun loving prankster, practical joker, and he excelled at everything he did. Yes, we will always remember to do as you taught us, Dad... "If you're going to do something, do it well, or don't do it at all!" We love you and miss you so much, Dad/PawPaw! The family suggests memorial donations in memory of Bill Sliter may be made to the First Baptist Church International Sunday School Class at 1208 S. Tyler St., Amarillo, TX 79101.

LINKS

Cox-Rowley Funeral Home

http://coxfuneralhomeamarillo.com

Amarillo Globe News Memoriams

http://amarillo.com