Leo Slaton

Weldon Leo Slaton passed away on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at his home in Leander, Texas, at the age of 93. Leo was born September 1, 1931 in Greer County, Oklahoma, on the farm of his parents, Comer and Lillian Fails Slaton. Leo was married in 1954 to Margaret Ray of Cordell, Oklahoma, who survives him.

Leo was a man of many interests and achievements. He earned a chemistry degree from Southwestern State College in Weatherford, Oklahoma, and had a long, distinguished career in the oil and gas industry. That career took him and Margaret around the globe, from Casper, Wyoming, and Hobbs, New Mexico, to Asia and the Middle East. During those years, the couple raised a daughter and three sons.

Leo was not one for sitting around, and he was perpetually busy with hobbies and interests. From early years hunting and fishing, he took up scuba diving and learned to fly glider planes. He later earned a pilot's license and loved to fly his own airplane. He and Margaret traveled extensively, globally, and many miles towing their trailer.

Leo had a long interest in woodworking, adeptly building toys, furniture or anything else that caught his interest. He was an inveterate home repairman, electrician, plumber, and tinkerer, always occupied with projects.

Leo was also active in the church and community, where he served on various boards and committees in roles ranging from financial oversight to boy scout camping trips. When he did sit down, he read. Leo was a voracious consumer of non-fiction, particularly history and theology.

Leo and Margaret met while attending Southwestern State College. He did a tour in Korea with the Army before returning home to Margaret in Oklahoma. One of his first professional jobs was as a health inspector. He was soon hired by a major oil field service company, where he advanced from driving a truck to running a laboratory, excelling at sales and ultimately managing international operations.

Leo and Margaret had four children, and Leo would proudly note, "None of them have ever been in jail."

He was preceded in death by his sister, Zuma Austin and brother, Leon Slaton. Leo is survived by Margaret, his wife of 70 years, their children, Melinda, Jeff, Terry, and Mike, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.