Peter Marc Slavin

Peter Marc Slavin, 77, was cycling in the Northern Virginia countryside, when he was struck from behind by a driver on Sunday March 24, 2019 and fatally injured. He died March 29. Peter was raised in Shaker Heights, OH and lived most of his adult life in Oakton, VA. He was a kind, curious and persistent fellow who made and held friends: from Shaker Heights (Ohio) High to Dartmouth College, to the London School of Economics, and the U. of Wisconsin (government); from active duty as an intelligence officer in Vietnam (Bronze Star), and early career stints with the Detroit Free Press, the Louisville Courier Journal and in Worcester, MA. Throughout his life as a writer his stories were the result of diverse interests and a recognition of people and events that needed to be brought to public attention: mountaintop removal in West Virginia, the displaced Sarajevo Orchestra, North Korean refugees, and Harriet Tubman. In his own words, "...I wondered why my interests weren't narrowing as I aged, the way they invariable seemed to for older people I had known. Mine were expanding. I found myself reading more sections of the newspaper, not fewer, and using Google to plumb anything that aroused my curiosity. A friend's consuming interest in Harriet Tubman led me to join a monthly discussion among a group of blacks and whites 100 miles away on Maryland's Eastern Shore; we examined Tubman's life and ante bellum African American history in the area. Though this pursuit has eaten into my time, I know how fortunate I've been to be involved. Some might contend that in living as if I were many years younger, I'm in denial about my own aging and mortality. Am I simply trying to evade the inevitable? Perhaps. But the real lesson for me may be that none of us can truly recapture the past, because the river of life always moves on. So many stories, so little time" Peter is survived by his wife of 39 years Susan Robertson Slavin, his brother John Slavin (Deborah) of Freeport, ME, sister Suzy Slavin of Montreal Canada, his beloved niece Crystal (Sarah) Scott-Zodun, 2 nephews, 3 grandnephews, 3 grandnieces and 4 great-grandnephews. A memorial may be held at a later date. Donations in his memory may be made to a charity of your choice; Peter was partial to West Virginia environmental preservation, animals and the underdog.