John Thurman Sluder

Beloved father John Thurman Sluder, 81, of 1711 Bear Creek Road, Leicester, died Thursday, September 4, 2003, of leukemia at Mountain Area Hospice. A native and lifelong resident of Buncombe County, he was the son of the late Cariel Oscar and Icie Fore Sluder. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Miley R. Sluder, who died on July 30, 1979, and by a sister, Mary S. Whiteside, who died on February 1, 1996. Mr. Sluder was a member of Newfound Baptist Church and was retired from American Enka Company in September 1982 after 36 years of service. He served 3 years of active duty in the US Navy during WWII in the Pacific Fleet and retired from the Naval Reserves after 20 years as a 1st Class Petty Officer. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 891 and was also a member of the Fleet Reserve. An active member of the Democratic Party, he served as the Democratic Judge at Leicester School from 1960 until his recent retirement from the position. He is survived by a daughter, Kathy Elaine Sluder of Leicester; three sisters, Omie Gillespie of Leicester, Leitha Rogers and her husband Hoyle of Leicester and Margaret Roberts of Asheville; a brother, Richard Sluder and his wife June of Asheville; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Funeral services will be 2:00 pm Sunday in the Patton Avenue chapel of Groce Funeral Home with the Revs. Paul Sluder, Jennis Sluder and Charles Phillips officiating. Burial will follow at Mountain View Baptist Church Cemetery in Alexander. Pallbearers will be Bob Radford, Gerald Garrison, Clinton Gillespie, Jr., John Gillespie, Rick Sluder and Ronnie Robinson. His family will receive friends from 7:00-9:00 pm Saturday at the funeral home. At other times the family will be at the home of his daughter, 1701 Bear Creek Road, Leicester. Flowers will be accepted or donations may be made to Mountain View Baptist Church, Alexander Road, Alexander, NC 28701 or The National Cancer Institute, Building 31, Room 11A16, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892.