Raymond Timothy Slaughter

Raymond Timothy Slaughter passed away unexpectedly, but peacefully from heart failure on February 2, 2026, in his beloved Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. He was surrounded by his wife, Kim, and his daughters, Alison Newcomer and Kayt Pourbaix.

Ray began his long, adventurous, and meaningful life in East Cleveland, Ohio. Born August 6, 1946, to American Baptist pastor Robert Slaughter and Wilma (Hewit) Slaughter, Ray grew up alongside his older brother, Ron, following his father’s pastoral callings to Minneapolis, Minnesota; Rochester, New York; and Arlington, Massachusetts, where he spent his high school years.

Ray earned his undergraduate degree from Kalamazoo College, including a year abroad in Erlangen, Germany, where he became fluent in German. While at Kalamazoo, he met Ellen Tangent, and they married in August 1968. They soon moved to Chicago to attend the University of Chicago, where Ray pursued a Master of Ministry in the Divinity School and taught for two years in an inner-city elementary school.

After falling in love with Colorado during a camping trip, they moved to Denver in 1972 and he enrolled at the University of Denver Law School. Ray began a distinguished career in criminal justice at the Denver District Attorney’s Office. Ray and Ellen welcomed two daughters, Alison and Kayt.

Ray later married Kim Garrity, and together they built 39 years filled with love, laughter, adventure, family, and friendship. They split their time between Denver and Frisco, forming lifelong friendships in both communities. Travel was a shared passion, and together they explored more than 45 countries, embracing cultures and people around the world.

A loyal champion for justice and the rights of crime victims, Ray began as a Deputy District Attorney in Denver and went on to serve as Executive Director of the Colorado District Attorneys’ Council. In 1991, Colorado Attorney General Gale Norton appointed him Chief Deputy Attorney General. He later returned to the District Attorneys’ Council and served as President of the National Association of Prosecutor Coordinators. Ray continued his public service as Director of the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice and later as Deputy Director of the National Criminal Justice Association in Washington, D.C., concluding his career as Senior Policy Advisor to the National Criminal Justice Association. Of his work, Ray stated he most loved policy development and the ability to implement.

In retirement, Ray and Kim moved to Fort Collins to be close to Alison and Kayt, their sons-in-law, and eight grandchildren. Ray’s greatest joy was his family. He loved cheering on his grandchildren in academics, sports, music, dance, and theater. Over the years they made many memories of playing at the pool, family BBQ’s, and holiday traditions. He fully treasured being part of their lives as they grew. Their Fort Collins neighborhood and First Presbyterian Church became central to Ray’s 18 years in Northern Colorado. For the past 13 years, Ray and Kim spent winters in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they formed deep friendships with people from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Colombia. Ray enjoyed walking to town and eating with the guys multiple times a week.

Ray truly “never met a stranger.” He loved conversation and connection, happily chatting with anyone he met—at restaurants, airports, ski lifts, etc. With a keen ear for German and Austrian accents, he delighted in speaking his second language whenever he could.

Ray is survived by his wife, Kim; his brother Ron (Carol); daughter Alison (Matt) and grandchildren Hadley, Sawyer, Madelyn, and Makayla; and daughter Kayt (Jeremy) and grandchildren Rafe, Benson, Mira, and Cora.

A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 531 S. College Avenue, Fort Collins, CO, on March 8 at 2:00 p.m., with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to McBackpack (www.mcbackpack.org) or First Presbyterian Church (www.firstpresfc.org).