Lt. Col. Robert S. Sluter, USAF (Ret.)

Lt. Col. Robert Seton Sluter, age 87, of Niederwald, passed away at home Tuesday, September 20, 2011. He rejoins now in heaven his beloved wife of 47 years, “Dotty”, who passed away February 4, 1994. Robert was born June 25, 1924 to Ernest and Leona Hoffman Sluter in High Bridge, New Jersey.

Bob graduated from High Bridge High School in 1942 and enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in 1943. He became a navigator and flew C-47 and B-24 missions in the Pacific battles of WW II. Bob married Dorothy May Allison of Jersey City, NJ on December 7, 1946. He worked in New York City as a draftsman before re-enlisting. Bob was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross while navigating C-47’s in the Korean War. During the Vietnam War, he navigated the KC-141 transport airplanes.

Bob distinguished himself in the USAF weather reconnaissance missions for Apollo 8 re-entry. Bob attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel while stationed at Griffiss AFB, Rome, NY before retiring in 1972. Following retirement, Bob worked as budget administrator for the Holland Patent school system in Holland Patent, NY. He moved his family to Oak Hill in 1977. Bob worked for eight years as the budget director for St. Martin’s Lutheran Church in Austin.

After Dotty passed away, Bob took up ranching. He enjoyed ranching and operated the Prairie Breeze Ranch in Niederwald, where he made numerous friends and acquaintances. Bob was a longtime member of Buda United Methodist Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his eldest son, Robert Sluter, Jr. and brother, Ernest Sluter.

He is survived by his son, Douglas Sluter of Niederwald; daughter, Susan (Sluter) Henry and husband, Paul of Kyle; grandchildren, Ian Sluter and his mother, Susan (Trembley) Sluter; Gina Hulsey and her mother, Marion Cassell and Robert and Alissa Henry; great-grandchildren, Tyler and Spencer Hulsey of Austin and their father, Todd Hulsey and Ally Rose Smith of Kyle; and daughter-in-law, Claudia Robbi Sluter of Brazil.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, September 24, 2011 in the Chapel of Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Memorial Parks.

Bob will be remembered as a supportive father, a generous and cheerful friend and a good, decent and honorable man.

The Sluter family would like to acknowledge their special appreciation to granddaughter, Gina Hulsey and grandson, Robert Henry for taking such good care of him in the last years of his life.